Why can’t we find an honest broker when we need one? According to the ADN on Jan. 11, the state of Alaska has repealed a rule that was meant to curb health care costs. The Dunleavy administration is the obvious bogeyman based on the headline, but that becomes less apparent after delving into the details.
Also vying for bogeyman of the day is the insurance industry, led by Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska. They contend that insurance rates will go up faster even if the rule is left in place. They support the state of Alaska’s repeal of the rule.
The third contenders for bogeyman of the day are the health care providers themselves. Contrary to the state of Alaska and the insurance industry they support leaving the rule in place, arguing that repealing the rule would put patients back to where we were before 2004. Their argument is the subject of a lawsuit.
All three parties present varying arguments to support their positions. The state of Alaska chooses to hide behind pending litigation while the insurance industry claims that rates will go up 5%-16% if the rule is not repealed. At least the health care providers met with the Dunleavy administration to discuss options, but Dunleavy never got back to them for a follow-up meeting.
Hence, their lawsuit.
So, where do we go now? Where is that honest broker? This seems like a golden opportunity for the ADN to do a deep dive into the facts and summarize its findings in a follow-up article, maybe with the help of the likes of ProPublica. Otherwise, we may be left with the results of a lawsuit by the warring parties and no clear path forward.
— Mike Jens
Anchorage
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