Sure. He's totally sincere.
ATLANTA Â Georgia may not start its Obamacare health exchange Oct. 1 when the rest of the country does because the state issued an emergency request late Monday [July 29] for a delay.
Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens asked U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for another 30 days beyond tomorrowÂs [August 1] deadline to approve the health plans submitted by seven insurance companies wanting to do business in the state.
He said some rates were 198 percent higher than current plans available in the state.
ÂGeorgia consumers cannot afford these massive rate increases, Hudgens wrote in his letter to her.
Hudgens said he received the reports Monday [July 29] of outside actuaries hired to review the premiums requested by seven insurance companies wanting to offer individual health plans through the stateÂs exchange. Those actuaries concluded that six sought justifiable premiums and the seventh was 11 percent above what was necessary to comply with the requirements of the federal health reform law known as Obamacare.
Yeah, giving her less than 3 days to evaluate the information and make a decision is a sincere appeal.
Just like his previous appeal - http://www.gpb.org/n...decision-delayed#
From October 2011:
SAVANNAH, Ga. Â Kathleen Sebelius is Secretary of Health and Human Services. Her office is considering several waivers from the Affordable Care Act, including a request from Georgia.
The US Health and Human Services Department will take another 30 days to decide whether Georgia can phase in a key provision of health care reform more slowly.
Georgia's top insurance official wants Georgia exempt from a part of the law until 2014.
The provision requires insurance firms to spend no more than 20% of individual premiums on administration and certain other costs.
Cindy Zeldin of Georgians for a Healthy Future says, the rule would benefit consumers.
"It provides better value for consumers," Zeldin says. "And it was our estimation, based on the data, that Georgia insurance companies could go ahead and phase this in more quickly and that there would be a benefit for consumers for doing so."
Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudges says, the provision will hurt competition.
FWIW.
Cheers,
Scott.