Iowa Democrats worry 'Medicare for All' hurts key industry

[TexasTowelie]

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Kim Motl doesn’t work in the health insurance industry. But her friends and neighbors do. So when she saw Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Motl pressed the Democratic presidential candidate about her “Medicare for All” plan, which would replace private insurance with a government-run system.

“What about the little guys that work in the insurance business, that support our communities? The secretary that works for them, but maybe supports their family, what happens to them?” the 64-year-old housing advocate asked the senator.

“What happens to all of those people who lose their jobs?” Motl asked in a later interview.

Warren reassured her that jobs would not be lost because of her plan. But the exchange is a reminder that while railing against the insurance industry can score points with the progressive Democratic base, it can also alienate potential supporters in Iowa, where voters will usher in the presidential primary in less than two months.

Nearly 17,000 Iowans are either directly employed by health insurance companies or employed in related jobs, according to data collected by America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry advocacy group. Des Moines, the seat of the state’s most Democratic county, is known as one of America’s insurance capitals partly because of the high number of health insurance companies and jobs in the metro area. Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield’s health insurance headquarters employs roughly 1,700 in the metro area, and that’s just one of the 16 health insurance companies domiciled in Iowa, according to the Iowa Insurance Division.

Read more: https://www.wvnews.com/newsfeed/politics/iowa-democrats-worry-medicare-for-all-hurts-key-industry/article_ef7bcb47-d35a-511f-8b0b-af7ccb855e51.html

[brewens]

1. People in the medical insurance industry have been working on losing their jobs for decades.

Many of the regular employees could get jobs in the new system, higher up corporate officers, not so much if it's up to me.

[Demsrule86]

2. This is why MFA won't happen. Jobs matter. I would not be surprised if Biden wins

Iowa.

[Loki Liesmith]

3. Lol revenge politics.

[Skidmore]

4. I have mixed feelings

about this. I do think we need to regulate and reform the health insurance industry because it isn't going away any more than n M4A will become the law of the land any time soon. At "granular" level, rural hospitals are threatened by Republicans closing funding streams whenever they can. ACA made a good start toward forcing insurers to pay more towards claims. This greatly improved healthcare in rural hospitals because they were able to add personnel and services. No one likes insurance but we can make it work better. Burning down the house will not happen.

[TexasTowelie]

5. The fact that so many states refused the Medicaid expansion under the ACA

has also taken its toll on rural hospitals. Even if the reimbursement rates were low, it still provides a revenue stream that doesn't otherwise exist.

[Hoyt]

6. Think MFA is a loser in 2020, but not because of lost jobs.

A Public Option -- with increased subsidies -- is going to put these folks out of work fairly quickly. But, something has to be done and a PO seems to be the best way to get there.

Some will find employment handling claims and other admin under the PO, but probably a pretty small percentage. Lots of other jobs will be lost as the profit gets wrung out of healthcare. All that is probably good, but it will be ugly.

[abqtommy]

7. The insurance companies, IMHO, have all the money in the world but they want more. They advertise

in the media to attract new customers, especially with their Medicare Advantage offerings. They're politically active in lobbying for legislation that supports their goals and AGAINST legislation that would
weaken them. Here in New Mexico most businesses, including insurance, are not regulated by the state. If you get your car repaired or buy insurance of any kind you can be sure you're getting screwed
because that's how it is here.

I have no tears to shed for any business model, like insurance, that rejected the business model of fairness and ethical competence

[SharonClark]

8. M4A may not hurt in the Democratic caucuses but it will really hurt in Iowa in the general election.

Dems can't lose Dem-centric and insurance-centric Des Moines and win the state.

I'm retired from IT but during my career I worked in insurance divisions for Wellmark, Wells Fargo Financial, Principal Financial Group, KVI, and Nationwide. Most of those employees will hear 'end your job' and run toward the repugs.

[highplainsdem]

9. "Warren reassured her that jobs would not be lost because of her plan." That's NOT what she said

only a month and a half ago:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287330127

[NYMinute]

10. K&R nt

[Cha]

12. KR!

[Blue_true]

13. Her plan is far less radical that Bernie's.

I can't figure out why she is getting torn apart on this while Bernie, who has provided precious few details on his plan, is skating by.

[TexasTowelie]

14. Agreed.

If there is going to be criticism of Warren's version of M4A, then Bernie should also be held accountable for his version for M4A. She is being criticized from both the left and the right.