Comments on: Some businesses blowing smoke over health care http://idahobusinessreview.com/2012/01/25/some-businesses-blowing-smoke-over-health-care/ IBR Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:52:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bill http://idahobusinessreview.com/2012/01/25/some-businesses-blowing-smoke-over-health-care/comment-page-1/#comment-100573 Bill Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:37:18 +0000 http://idahobusinessreview.com/?p=57971#comment-100573 Dan, the reason Idaho small businesses pay out the wazzoo for healthcare insurance (#2 item on the payroll accounts) is that in 1994, in literally the darkened waning hours of the legislative session, Idaho's idiot legislature (at the behest of the health insurance agents like Sen Dean Cameron & Co) passed one of America's 5 most onerous "any willing provider" (AWP) healthcare laws. This is a piece of "model legislation" deliberately crafted by lawyers at a Washington based think-tank, and specifically designed to interrupt the business model of an H.M.O. (remember them? the wicked, dirty HMOs?) Since that time HMOs have been federally regulated and virtually all of their initially abusive practices addressed in a body of case law nationwide. They now do wondrous things in numerous states, and give a level of healthcare competition for basic coverage Idaho small businesses are totally left without. Idaho has the 2nd lowest HMO census in the nation acc'd to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Along with an absurd income tax system and screwball education policy, Idaho's healthcare regime is the 3rd leg of the Idaho Legislature's "Iron Triangle of Poverty". It's why the state has fallen from 36th in per capita income in 1980, to just above Mississippi's today at 49th. Dan, the reason Idaho small businesses pay out the wazzoo for healthcare insurance (#2 item on the payroll accounts) is that in 1994, in literally the darkened waning hours of the legislative session, Idaho’s idiot legislature (at the behest of the health insurance agents like Sen Dean Cameron & Co) passed one of America’s 5 most onerous “any willing provider” (AWP) healthcare laws. This is a piece of “model legislation” deliberately crafted by lawyers at a Washington based think-tank, and specifically designed to interrupt the business model of an H.M.O. (remember them? the wicked, dirty HMOs?)

Since that time HMOs have been federally regulated and virtually all of their initially abusive practices addressed in a body of case law nationwide. They now do wondrous things in numerous states, and give a level of healthcare competition for basic coverage Idaho small businesses are totally left without. Idaho has the 2nd lowest HMO census in the nation acc’d to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Along with an absurd income tax system and screwball education policy, Idaho’s healthcare regime is the 3rd leg of the Idaho Legislature’s “Iron Triangle of Poverty”. It’s why the state has fallen from 36th in per capita income in 1980, to just above Mississippi’s today at 49th.

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