Knoxville, TN Could Be Ground Zero For The Obamacare Explosion

[LonestarDream]

For the 40,000 people living in and around Knoxville, TN, Humana was the only insurance company providing healthcare coverage for the 2017 plan year.  That said, even with their monopoly in the market, Humana still couldn't figure out a way to make money on the Obamacare exchanges in the 16 Tennessee counties where it was the sole insurer.  As such, the company has decided to cancel its coverage in 2018 potentially leaving Knoxville's 40,000 residents with no healthcare options at all.

Per the map below from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, while most of Tennessee is covered by Blue Cross and Cigna, the 16 counties surrounding Knoxville in the eastern portion of the state will have to find a new insurer to fill in for Humana by July 1st or residents there simply won't have access to healthcare for the 2018 plan year.


http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-04-04/knoxville-tn-could-be-ground-zero-obamacare-explosion

[LonestarDream]

For those of us who would be ok with implosion as one scenario to get rid of Obamacare, this is one plausible scenario. 

[LonestarDream]

@don-o

@Emjay

[LonestarDream]

I thought the compromise bill was another good pathway.  As long as the state opt outs were true opt outs and not merely 'waivers' 

[geronl]

or residents there simply won't have access to healthcare for the 2018 plan year.

Again, a writer confuses insurance with healthcare itself.

[geronl]

The Knoxville region has more than a million residents (and that's only counting 12 counties), these 40,000 people losing their Humana plans is a drop in the bucket.

[LonestarDream]

Again, a writer confuses insurance with healthcare itself.

Point taken.  I dont care if Obamacare is repealed or not.  I just hope the subsidies are not funded during the implosion process.

AND I DO NOT WANT to end up with SINGLE PAYER.   

I dont mind a weaning process, but not long term socialized medicine. 

[LonestarDream]

The Knoxville region has more than a million residents (and that's only counting 12 counties), these 40,000 people losing their Humana plans is a drop in the bucket.

So where would the million folks be getting insurance ?  Medicare?

[INVAR]

Point taken.  I dont care if Obamacare is repealed or not.  I just hope the subsidies are not funded during the implosion process.

AND I DO NOT WANT to end up with SINGLE PAYER.   

I dont mind a weaning process, but not long term socialized medicine.

If they keep any part of ObamaCare intact and viable, eventually - Single Payer long-term Socialized health care is exactly going to be what we will be stuck with.

[geronl]

So where would the million folks be getting insurance ?  Medicare?

Medicare, Medicaid, existing plans, bought plans not on the ObamaCare marketplace (which is still a thing), self-insured or have no health insurance at all.