GOVERNOR
GOVERNOR DUCEY CLEARS THE WAY FOR MUCH MORE OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S HEALTH INSURANCE.
>>> LAST WEEK GOVERNOR DUCEY
SIGNED INTO LAW A BILL
EXPANDING SHORT-TERM HEALTH
INSURANCE HERE IN ARIZONA.
SUPPORTERS SAY THE SHORT TERM
PLANS ARE CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES
TO OBAMACARE BUT CRITICS LABEL
THEM JUNK INSURANCE.
FOR JOINING US IS WILL HUMBLE.
DIRECTOR OF THE ARIZONA PUBLIC
HEALTH ORGANIZATION.
HEALTH ORGANIZATION. WELCOME BACK TO SQUARE OFF.
>>> GOOD MORNING.
THAT JUNK INSURANCE.
WE HEARD A LOT OF THIS ABOUT
AFTER THE OBAMA CARE DEBATE.
WHY ARE THESE POLICIES JUNK IN
SOME PEOPLE'S EYES?
>> ESSENTIALLY, THEY ARE REALLY
SHORT-TERM INSURANCE PLANS THAT
WERE GEARED FOR TRANSITION
PERIODS FOR PEOPLE SAY LIKE A
THREE MONTH INSURANCE PLAN OR
SIX MONTHS.
SIX MONTHS. UP TO ONE YEAR AT MAX BETWEEN
JOBS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE PLANS IS
THAT THEY DON'T COVER PRE-
EXISTING CONDITIONS BUT MORE
THAN THAT, YOU HAVE TO READ THE
FINE PRINT TO SEE THAT THEY ARE
ACTUALLY COVERED.
ACTUALLY COVERED. ESSENTIALLY THERE IS NO
CONSUMER PROTECTIONS IN PLACE.
IT MIGHT NOT COVER
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND EMERGENCY
CARE AND MATERNITY CARE.
PHARMACY.
PHARMACY.
PHARMACY. THERE IS TONS OF STUFF THAT
THAT MAY OR MAY NOT INCLUDE.
SO FOR ALL THE OTHER INSURANCE
PRODUCTS OUT THERE.
THERE IS CONSUMER PROTECTION IN
PLACE SO THAT YOU CAN
COMFORTABLY BY THE INSURANCE
KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE GETTING BUT
WITH THE SHORT TERM PLANS, YOU
DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING
IN SO YOU HAVE TO THAT'S IF
YOU'RE SMART YOU WOULD DO A
WHOLE BUNCH OF HOMEWORK BEFORE
YOU BUY ANYTHING.
>> THESE PLANS WERE PART OF
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S PLAN
PLAN TO TACKLE OBAMACARE.
LATE LAST YEAR HE ALLOWED THE
PLANS TO HAVE LONGER TERMS.
>> THE CURRENT SIX MONTHS TO UP
TO THREE YEARS.
>>> THE PLANS WERE ALLOWED
UNDER OBAMACARE WOULD THEY?
>> BOTH UNDER FEDERAL LAW UP TO
A YEAR AND UNDER STATE LAW FOR
SIX MONTHS WITH AN ADDITIONAL
SIX MONTHS OF TWO YEAR.
ARIZONA HAD A LONG PLACE THAT
YOU COULD BUY THESE UP TO A
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. >>
YEAR. >> BODILY ALLOWED UNDER
OBAMACARE?
OBAMACARE? >> LIKE I SAID THEY WERE
TRANSITION PLANS FOR PEOPLE
BETWEEN JOBS AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND SO IT WAS A SHORT-TERM PLAN
BUT IT ALSO, THE SHORT TERM
PLANS DID NOT COUNT TOWARDS THE
REQUIREMENT UNDER THE MANDATE
TO HAVE INSURANCE BECAUSE IT IS
NOT REAL HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND IF YOU HAD A SHORT TERM
LIMITED PLAN AND THOUGHT THAT
THAT WAS GOING TO SAVE YOU FROM
THE MANDATE AND THE TAX
PENALTIES FOR HAVING TAX
INSURANCE, THAT WASN'T TRUE.
IT WAS REALLY A PATCH THAT IS
NOW UNDER BOTH FEDERAL AND
STATE LAW AN OVER THREE YEARS.
CARLA PATCH.
CARLA PATCH. IT'S GOING TO BECOME FOR SOME
PEOPLE WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS
REAL.
REAL.
REAL. HEALTH INSURANCE BUT THEN
SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN AND THEY
WILL FIND OUT WHY THEY HAVE A
LIEN ON THE HOUSE.
>> WHAT MADE THEM ATTRACTIVE IN
THE FIRST PLACE?
>> TO BE HONEST I'M NOT SURE.
THEY ARE CHEAPER.
>> CHEAPER THAN OBAMACARE?
>> THE PREMIUMS ARE CHEAPER FOR
WHAT YOU GET IS A LOT MORE
FLAKY.
FLAKY.
FLAKY. >>
FLAKY. >> A LOT MORE FLAKY.
>> I WANT TO POINT OUT THE
GOVERNOR SIGNED THIS INTO LAW
AND IT PASSED FAIRLY QUICKLY
AND WAS SIGNED INTO LAW VERY
QUICKLY AND QUIETLY BUT THE
GOVERNOR SOME INTEREST DIRECTOR
ISSUED A WARNING ABOUT THE
PLANS.
PLANS.
PLANS. SOME POLICYHOLDERS BECAME
UNWITTINGLY UNCOVERED FOR PRE-
EXISTING CONDITIONS INCLUDING
CONDITIONS THAT POLICYHOLDERS
DEVELOPED WHILE UNDER THE SHORT
TERM POLICY.
TERM POLICY. THIS IS A BIG BUYER BEWARE
MOMENT.
MOMENT.
MOMENT. AND EXPLAIN IT.
IF I AM INSURED RIGHT NOW YOU
CAN'T DROP ME IN THE MIDDLE OF
MY TERM BUT IT APPEARS THAT ON
THE SHORT-TERM, THEY CAN RESEND
THE POLICY.
THE POLICY. >> SO IF I'M IN A CAR ACCIDENT
OR DEVELOP CANCER.
COMING READ THE FINE PRINT.
GO TO THE MARKETPLACE.
ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE YOU DO
SOMETHING LIKE THIS BECAUSE
THEY CAN RESEND THE POLICY.
THERE IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF
CONDITIONS, ESSENTIAL HEALTH
BENEFITS THAT ARE NOT COVERED
AND IF YOU DON'T DISCLOSE A PRE-
EXISTING CONDITION, WHEN YOU
ARE SIGNING UP AND THEY FIND
OUT ABOUT IT, THEN IT IS
RETROACTIVE AND YOU COULD BE
PENALIZED RETROACTIVELY.
PENALIZED RETROACTIVELY. THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT
THAN IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU BY
THE AND HEALTH INSURANCE.
>> AND THE LAW, IT WILL SOON BE
THE LAW AND WITHIN THREE
MONTHS, THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE
A DISCLAIMER ON THE POLICIES
WARNING PEOPLE.
WARNING PEOPLE. >> IS RIGHT IN THE BILL.
14 POINTS IT SAYS.
>> IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH?
>> NOT FOR ME.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SHORT
TERM PLANS TAKEOFF.
COULD THEY PUT A DENT IN THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
MARKETPLACE?
MARKETPLACE? >> THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE
CONSUMER PROTECTION PIECE OF
THIS FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH
PERSPECTIVE.
PERSPECTIVE. PEOPLE BUYING PLANS ON WHAT
THEY THINK THEY ARE AND THEY
WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE
TREATMENT THAT THEY REALLY NEED
BECAUSE THE INSURANCE DOESN'T
COVER