The Potential Impact of Repeal and Replace on NJ Citizens

David Mordo, Immediate Past National Legislative Chairman, National Association of Health Underwriters, talks about the future of the ACA and the impact repeal/replace could have on New Jersey residents. Mordo also shares advice to help consumers find the best healthcare plans for their needs.

8/12/17 #3022

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

"Hi, I'm Steve Adubato. Everything you ever wanted and needed, more importantly, to know about health insurance, we're about to cover with David Mordo, Immediate Past National Legislative Chairman of the National Association of Health Underwriters. Good to see you David. Nice to be here. By the way, what is this organization? And what is it trying to do? The National Association of Health Underwriters is an organization that represents about 100,000 employee benefits specialists around the nation. And we work to find private market solutions for employers, individuals, and consumers, so that we find healthcare and health insurance that meets their needs. And we've been doing it for well over 60 years. P.S. - your New Jersey chapter, if you will, is one of the underwriters of our public policy program called State of Affairs. Yes. To fully disclose, a question. Describe the health insurance market in New Jersey and the nation, and is it dramatically different? It used to be dramatically different. Now unfortunately we are seeing some carriers leave the state. Carriers? Insurance companies? Insurance companies. We have carriers, or insurance companies, that don't want to come back into our state. They don't feel that they can make a profit or provide a product that is conducive to good health insurance and healthcare. We have insurance carriers around the nation, and states that have one carrier in the state. One? One. That is hardly a choice. New Jersey has...? We have three carriers that are doing fully insured health insurance. Okay. And we have a handful that are offering up self funded plans, or MEWAs, whereby... MEWAs? MEWAs. Oh, the anacronyms just are amazing. Yeah. MEWA's are? Multiple employer welfare arrangements. It's a conglomeration... That mean you come together as multiple employer...? Yes. Okay. But they don't offer the full service, or full options, that another carrier might? Well, they're starting to. Okay. They're starting to. Is it a good...? Is New Jersey a good place to do business for a health insurance company? That's a great question. I would think that under the present circumstances, it's very difficult to do business in New Jersey. Not only... But some are trying to come back? Some left, they're now trying to come back? One is. One is trying to make their way back in January of '18, but what will they bring us? It's all well and good... What does that mean? What will they bring us? What type of product can you offer the consumer that will help to alleviate some of the troubles that they are going through? The small employer, the individual? There is a lack of choice, not..."