Comments about ‘Utah House Speaker Dave Clark wants small-business insurance pool’

David Clark is trying to get rid of agents that sell Health insurance. He has said so himself. This is what an agent does is work the market to keep costs down and advise the employer or purchaser on the type of plan they need. It alieviates confusion for the purchaser and keeps the markets and the insurers honest by using the market. Of course it isn't working right. And of course requiring small companies to do this will add to unemployment as the agents won't have jobs. As much as people don't like them, they are an interegal part of the process that our speaker wants to leave out.

Health insurance pool? That smacks of Socialism! What will Glenn Beck have to say about this?

THERE ARE WAY TO MANY PEOPLE IN THE INSURANCE PORTION OF THE BUSINESS THAT WANT'S TO GET THE BIG WAGES THAT THE BIG COMPANIES GET INCLUDING BONUSSES TO MAKE IT WORK

Nations Health Alliance is a Utah NonProfit Corporation licensed by the Utah State Insurance Commission to function as a Health Insurance Purchasing Alliance. Nations Health is organized to give small companies better group purchasing power for Major Medical and other employee benefit insurance plans. Nations Health is designed to make available more insurance options for less cost to the employer and employee providing better benefits at lower prices with potential yearend rebates.

Insurance Exchange?? (yawn...) it's not like buying insurance via the internet is a new concept or anything.

Having been recently laid off, and having recently started a new small company, this sounds like a great idea. Thanks Dave

You go Speaker Clark!!! At least somebody's trying to do something - we are in real trouble out here, and it looks like the fed won't and can't deliver. ? to Utah County - will Nations Health Alliance insure the entrepreneur/self employed? This a huge issue for rural Utah.

Memo to Representive Clark - The Feds won't deliver because his party won't let thme - it's part of their plan to bring down Obama. Nevertheless, it's good to see a local rep thinking creatively about this terrible problem.

So it is proposed that I can ignore health coverage while I'm healthy, then if I contract (heaven forbid) cancer or AIDS or something terrible I can choose an health insurance company (they have to accept me in spite of pre-existing conditions) to pay my $750 per month to (they have to charge me the same as everyone else) and they will be forced to start paying out tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for my care because I chose them? That's not what insurance is. Costs will have to skyrocket for those who buy their "insurance" before they need it and it will eventually fail.

You go Speaker Clark!!! And how about this... I should be able to wait and get my auto insurance AFTER I have an accident, it's not fair that they disqualify my pre-existing accident from coverage, and they should cover that pre-existing accident for the same premium as the person who applies for auto insurance with no accident on their record yet.

Making health insurance companies provide coverage to people who are already sick is ridiculous. If people can wait until they are sick, why would anybody pay for health insurance when they are healthy? This is kind of like making life insurance companies sell policies on people who are already dead....

My uninsured house just burned down! Anybody know the number of a good, liberal homeowners insurance company? I'm in a bit of a hurry.

The problem here is David can't make his exchange work so now he wants to force small employers to pay more in order for it to work. IF the government system doesn't work, the best way is to force people to use it....a little like communism.

Why am I not surprised that the Private Insurance companies can't find a solution and lower costs? They charge rates 30-40% higher on the exchange? We heard so much how Clark's pet project, the online insurance would be the answer to getting insurance to all. Ha, ha. Private insurance will never police itself.

MJ, the exchange isn't working because those who CAN get insurance outside the exchange DO just that. Those who CANNOT get insurance outside the exchange rely on the exchange. The exchange therefore attracts higher risk / higher cost consumers and those higher risks / higher costs are reflected in higher premium. I think that we need a good working definition of "insurance" here. Government (and MJ?) wants socialized medicine but wont say the words. The reason that we can't find a solution from govt or private sector is the lofty coverage expectations of the consumer. When the common man says "Forget the MRI, it doesn't hurt that bad." even though the insurance company would pay for an MRI, that's when we will reduce costs and be able to find a way to cover the uninsured for a reasonable rate. A person paying their own medical expenses can get by on very little, a person who has insurance expects and demands that every possible test be run and every illness be diagnosed. We need to act like we're spending our own money instead of the insurance company money -- in the end, it's all our own money.

Your envy is very sad, i am so sorry you are so offended by sucess

It is clear that Utah House Speaker Rep. Dave Clark did not listen to his public. He met with several people at a local library, which included a self-employed people, veteran insurance agent, two attorneys, several physicians and a former managed care consultant. Since Dave Clark is insured by big business, he has no clue how self employed and small businesses obtain, manage or review their health costs for themselves or employees. It is sad that he is so removed from the real world! His latest solution will indeed get rid of agents. Insurance companies view agents as a necessary marketing evil; but now with the state’s marketing dollars broadcasting their newest website. He will give the insurance companies what they have always wanted; a captive audience with no agent intervention. Thank you Dave Clark the Utah House Speaker from IHC! What did you think would happen?