Texas health advisers blast new proposed rules
Source: AP
AUSTIN, Texas
Counselors who help Texas residents up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act criticized proposed state rules Monday that would require them to undergo additional training and pay fees, saying the regulations would impede people from getting health care.
Texas Insurance Commissioner Julia Rathgeber held a public hearing on the rules who agency generated after Gov. Rick Perry called for stringent regulation of so-called navigators, whose job is to help people sign up for health insurance using new health care exchanges. Perry and other Republican leaders say the rules are needed to protect consumers from fraud and bad advice.
But state Sen. Kirk Watson, the Austin Democrat who wrote the law allowing the commissioner to draft rules, told Rathgeber, a Perry appointee, that the proposed regulations go too far. He specifically cited requirements that the navigators have 40 hours of training in addition to the federally-required 20-30 hours, get liability insurance and pay fees for fingerprints, tests and classes.
"That kind of training requires real time and costs real money. Where did the additional 40 hour requirement come from exactly? Who is it truly meant to help?" Watson asked. "TDI has failed to provide any explanation although repeatedly requested to do."
Read more: http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/legislative/critics-blast-proposed-rules-for-health-advisers/ncdP8/
Later in the article, it states that the Department of Insurance estimates that the cost to obtain and retain a health navigator license at $800 each year. Federal law does not allow for the navigators to recoup those costs.
Cross-posted in the Texas Group.
another_liberal
(8,821 posts)They are also digging their own political graves by working to deny poor and middle class Americans the affordable health coverage they so desperately need.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Maraya1969
(22,493 posts)They are like little obnoxious children without the excuse of being a child.
jsr
(7,712 posts)TexasTowelie
(112,368 posts)She is already bought and paid for by the Perry administration.
DhhD
(4,695 posts)requirements then breaks Public Law 111 - 148. The Justice Department of the US should file suit to have PL 111-148 implemented as Congress envisioned.
sheshe2
(83,855 posts)Yup. Sure. Like they really care about the consumer.
christx30
(6,241 posts)to become a navigator. She is saying that she is only getting paid for 30 hours for the training that she's getting. Perry and crew are sabotaging this process. What are they afraid of, if it's going to be such a disaster?
ETA:
Later, Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst proclaimed his support for the regulations.
"In addition to the threat Obamacare poses to state and family budgets, the currently unregulated, unscreened cadre of navigators descending on Texas could pose a threat to our citizens' personal safety," he said in a statement.
OMG!!! Merciless navigators are coming to Texas to rob and kill our poor, innocent people that just want health insurance! Barbarians at the gate!
DhhD
(4,695 posts)ACA navigators. Is there really a cadre of navigators descending on Texas? Just another lie to cover Republicans standing in the Shade of Dirty Deals. Republicans care nothing about the health and welfare of the people of this state. ACA made insurance companies return overcharges to Texans. So the citizens know that the Republican Establishment stands for allowing insurance companies to rip people off.
http://healthcare.dmagazine.com/2013/08/15/united-way-of-tarrant-county-gets-nations-largest-navigator-grant/
The United Way of Texas is an organization with state, business and community initiatives:
http://www.uwtexas.org/
Apparently Republicans in Texas have abandoned state responsibility, business and community actions to make Texas a better place to live and work. The current Republican Establishment needs to go. It has been stinking for a long time now.
truthisfreedom
(23,152 posts)Like, for example, the wingers that claim that incredibly cold weather is a sign that global warming isn't true... They're called "Snow Trolls." Name the fuckers and call them out for what they're doing. Think about how hard we worked to save our troops and they called us surrender monkeys. Remember freedom fries? NAME THEM. CALL THEM OUT. Perhaps start with "Care Killers."