I get a lot of ACA and healthcare-related email, as you might imagine. Sometimes it's a hot tip about some breaking news story or wonky report being released. Sometimes it's a clarification or correction of something I just posted from an industry insider wanting to clear the record. Sometimes it's a borderline illiterate Ted Cruz supporter complaining about how Cruz is shaking supporters down for cash or trash-talking his opponents. Sometimes it's an anti-ACA advocate arguing a point with me. Sometimes it's a scam artist trying to hustle me.
And then there's this:
Submitted on Monday, April 11, 2016 - 11:36am
Name: "Bob"*
Comments/Questions:
New York offers new Special enrollment period (SEP) victims of domestic violence.
Can you believe that ? This is just going to increase cost for everyone on the state exchange !
*Not his real name.
OK, a couple of things:
- 2. Therefore, yes, I can believe it.
- 3. It's certainly conceivable that allowing this does indeed "increase the costs" for everyone else enrolled on the exchange. After all, domestic abuse victims are often in need of lots of medical care for things like bruises, cuts, dislocated shoulders and gashes. Some need treatment for things like vaginal tearing and other sexual assault injuries. Many, as you might expect, are in need of mental health treatment to deal with the trauma of an abusive spouse or partner.
I can only assume that "Bob" assumed I would share his callous attitude because I was pretty heavily involved in debating the "SEP Gaming the System" brouhaha a few months back. What Bob seems to have missed, however, is that my only concern there was about preventing ineligible people from taking advantage of the rules, not about people who are genuinely trying to escape from someone who abuses them or their children.
I'm aware that it can be difficult to "prove" that you're a domestic abuse victim (that's part of what attracts abusers to doing so), so while I think you should have to provide some form of documentation for things like getting married or giving birth, I'm quite fine with being pretty lenient on the "proof" when it comes to domestic abuse victims. Therefore...
- 4. No, I don't really give a shit if my premiums go up a few bucks accordingly. As I said last winter, "CMS deserves praise for these moves. They may not seem like much but to the people involved, these can literally be lifesavers."
Next question?