State regulators slap BCBS of Alabama with $8M penalty
State regulators have hit Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBSAL) with an $8 million penalty for charging rates other than those approved by the Alabama Department of Insurance (ALDOI). According to AL.com, BCBSAL charged different rates in roughly 1,400 small-group employer plans — those with two to 50 employees — and some COBRA plans for former employees from 2005 to 2013. The result? Nearly $107 million undercharges and almost $33 million overcharges. “The goal was to smooth rate adjustments over time and provide small employers more predictability in their business planning,” said a statement issued by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama to AL.com. “We believed these practices were beneficial overall to our small business customers.” BCBSAL has 60 days to pay the penalty, as well as an additional $100,000 to the department for costs related to the investigation. “Within 60 days of the date of this order, Blue Cross shall pay the amount of $8,000,000 to the commissioner of insurance as an assessment for Blue Cross’ oversight in not filing its renewal rating methodology with the department pursuant to [Alabama law],” the order from ALDOI read. “This assessment is a result of Blue Cross’ inability to reasonably conduct variance analysis outside of the study period due to incomplete data.”
Bradley Byrne: Preventing naval tragedies
On June 17th, the USS Fitzgerald, a guided missile destroyer with the United States Navy, collided with a merchant vessel southwest of Tokyo, Japan. The collision resulted in the death of seven Navy sailors and an additional three crewmembers were injured. Then, on August 21st, the USS John S. McCain, also a Navy destroyer, collided with a merchant vessel in the Straits of Malacca, near Singapore. This time, ten crewmembers were killed and five others injured. The death of a single U.S. service member is one death too many, but losing seventeen Navy sailors in the course of a few months is a real tragedy. The House Armed Services Committee recently convened a hearing to examine these incidents. As a member of the Committee, I was especially interested in what needed to change to prevent events like this from occurring in the future. In addition to the two tragic incidents, there were also recent incidents where the USS Antietam ran aground near Japan and the USS Lake Champlain collided with a fishing boat. Neither of these resulted in any injuries, but they did cause damage to the ships. Already, the commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, where all these incidents occurred, has been relieved of his command and the commanding officers of the USS Fitzgerald and the USS Antietam were also removed. During the hearing, we heard a number of different ideas and concerns from the Navy leadership who testified. Notably, the Navy made clear that investigations into these incidents are still ongoing, but I think a number of conclusions can be drawn. First, we must continue to evaluate and improve our Navy’s training programs. Today’s ships have very complex technology that requires extensive training and retraining to keep the crew up-to-speed. We also need to make sure we have enough sailors to prevent exhaustion and fatigue from adding unnecessary risk. Studies indicate that today’s sailors are working longer hours than their predecessors. Our ships require full manning to perform their missions throughout the globe. The size of the fleet is also an issue. More ships mean shorter and less frequent deployments per ship, which lessens the wear and tear on the ship and leaves more time for maintenance and training. We have 100 ships throughout the world but with a fleet that has shrunk over 40% since the late 1980s. All of these areas tie back to a major underlying issue: lack of adequate funding and funding certainty for our national defense. These are both Congressional responsibilities and requirements. We must give the Navy and the entire military more budget certainty. The Navy needs to know how much money they will be receiving each year in order to effectively plan their programs and procure new ships. I was pleased when the House passed a strong military funding bill earlier this year. Specific to these concerns, the bill called for bringing on more military personnel and buying eleven more Navy ships. Unfortunately, the Senate has so far failed to pass the military funding bill. This resulted in Congress last week passing a short-term Continuing Resolution that simply holds funding levels in place. I voted against the short-term Continuing Resolution because of the negative impact it will have on our military. It will delay maintenance periods for ships we need to send back out to the fleet and delay the process of procuring new ships, to name a few crippling effects. Of course we need the Navy to do a better job of training and operating their vessels, but Congress has to also do our part to ensure adequate funding and budget certainty. We cannot continue to underfund our military and put our sailors and service members at risk. • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Donald Trump makes nice with Dems, leaving his party confused
President Donald Trump was in the mood to celebrate after cutting a big deal with opposition Democrats. Joshing with Northeastern officials in the Cabinet Room, Trump hailed New York Democrat Andrew Cuomo as “my governor” and traded banter with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, another fellow New Yorker. “If you just dropped in from outer space, you wouldn’t know what the last eight months have been like,” said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., recalling the friendly exchanges between Trump and Schumer during the meeting with New York and New Jersey lawmakers. That would be the same Schumer whom the president had previously slammed as a “clown” and “Cryin’ Chuck.” And now? “In some ways it’s almost like they were completing each other’s sentences,” King said. On display at that chummy scene Thursday was the Trump who’s emerged in full this past week: Trump the independent. A president who spent months catering to the Republican conservative wing now appears unbound by ideology and untethered by party allegiances. It’s not a complete surprise to his fellow Republicans. They long have worried that Trump, a former Democrat, might shift with the political winds. But Trump’s overtures to Democrats have left Republicans in an awkward and perplexing position, undercut by their leader and unsure of what’s next. “Our grass roots are very confused,” said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., head of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, on MSNBC Friday. Meadows said he viewed the deal as a “unique situation because of the devastation in Texas.” Trump’s deal with Democrats to raise the U.S. borrowing limit and keep the government running for three month months – all in the name of speeding relief to hurricane victims – quickly passed Congress and gave him the opportunity to savor a victory after months of legislative setbacks. He’s now talking about possible future deals with Democrats – doing away with votes on the raising the debt cap, and shielding from deportation young immigrants living in the United States illegally who were brought here as children. “I think that’s what the people of the United States want to see,” Trump said. “They want to see some dialogue.” It’s unclear how much of Trump’s turnabout is a deliberate strategy to create space for his tax overhaul this fall or simply a deal-maker’s gut decision, bargained during an Oval Office session that left his fellow Republicans befuddled. Trump has been frustrated by GOP leaders and blames House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for his inability to score big triumphs in Congress. He’s appeared unconcerned about dismissing their opposition to the debt ceiling deal, focusing instead on the fact that the move has delivered him rare kudos with some television commentators. Trump sprinkled salt on the wound Friday by reminding GOP leaders via Twitter about their failed efforts to overhaul former President Barack Obama‘s health law: “Republicans, sorry, but I’ve been hearing about Repeal & Replace for 7 years, didn’t happen!” In venting about Republican congressional leaders, Trump may just be channeling his supporters. Trump, who essentially hijacked the party two years ago, has positioned himself as the voice of voters who feel alienated from Washington and disdain both parties. “The Republicans in the Senate did not follow through on their commitment in working with the administration to repeal Obamacare. So what’s he going to do?” asked Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council. Perkins said he didn’t think Trump’s most loyal supporters would approve of extended dealings with Schumer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California. But, he added, “They’re just as mad at the Republican leadership as they are the Democrats.” Still, Trump’s startling agreement on the debt left Republicans wondering how far he’s willing to stray from party orthodoxy in pursuit of a deal. Their frustrations spilled out during a closed-door meeting Friday with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, a former South Carolina congressman, who were sent to Capitol Hill to defend the deal. At one point Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive and Democratic donor, drew hisses when he asked House Republicans to “vote for the debt ceiling for me,” according to Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C. From the start of his presidency, Trump has repeatedly labeled Democrats as obstructionists, and few expect his budding alliance with Schumer and Pelosi to be long-lived. Trump is loathed by the Democratic base, many of whom talk more openly about impeachment than cooperation. But there’s little doubt that Trump’s talk of “dealmaking” may occasionally open up possibilities for Democrats. “I think the president, when it comes to making deals, is an enigma,” said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. King said he will continue to work with Trump, but acknowledged that the past week had been a “little unsettling” and noted that “conservative allies have been leaving the West Wing at a fairly regular pace.” One of the top aides King was referring to was Steve Bannon. The strategist was ousted in August but remains a vocal proponent of the president’s agenda. Trump announced the deal with Democrats while Bannon was sitting for an interview with CBS News, but the Breitbart executive chairman saved his most pointed remarks for McConnell and Ryan, accusing them of trying to “nullify” the results of the 2016 election. The headlines on the Breitbart website Friday reflected the anti-establishment wing’s distrust of some of Trump’s New York allies, as well as party leadership – but not of Trump himself. Other Republicans are willing to give Trump a pass, for now. “Of course I view him as a Republican,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. He said that when Republicans can’t solve a problem by themselves, “then the president has that obligation to be that neutral arbitrator.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
