lance cashion: remote control

Debate 101: Defense vs Deflection (in American Politics)

Today I'm going to discuss some debate basics.  You wish to make a statement (going on the offensive). 

Example: I believe PPACA (Obamacare) is a bad piece of legislation or Kathleen Sebebius is trying to intimidate private insurers.

First, we DO NOT attack the person.  We attack behavior, outcomes, actions, philosophy, and ideas.  There is a proper logical way to debate that garners respect and causes people to think, and an improper way that is negative, hurtful and makes you (and your cause) look foolish.  Many times, when you make statements that attack or question laws, ideals or philosophy, instead of getting a robust defense from your opponent, you are met with a deflection.  Often times, this goes unnoticed and you end up going down the road of defending a non-sequitur.  Meanwhile, your opponent has gone on the offensive.  I would like to point out that this is a tactic widely used by the Left (Liberals).  You must recognize it as a 'tactic'. Once you recognize it, you can call it out and defeat it. (simply)  Do this gently, as most who use this tactic don't realize it's a tactic (albeit easliy defeated).  Plus, by respecting your opponent, you keep your friendship in tact or build a new relationship.  I've won great friends though respectful debate.  I may not agree with them, but who wants to be surrounded by people you agree with all the time?  Boring!  Let's talk about deflection and keep in mind it is NOT a defense in debate.  Here's what it looks like...

Example:

YOU: I believe PPACA (Obamacare) is a bad piece of legislation and here is why (provide evidence to support your statement)

Opponent (reply): Tell me what Bush actually accomplished in 8 years? (Defelction)

See what happened? Let's unpack it;

Your opponent accomplishes two goals by deflecting (if you fall for it);

1. Your opponent avoids making a defense based on your initial statement or assertion. 

2. Your opponent places the burden on you to defend a position you did not take in the first place. 

It's called a deflection.  It draws the focus away from your original statement where your opponent is unable or unwilling to make a defense.

There are ways to avoid this.  First, before you make an assertion/statement, make sure you have evidence to support it.  Second, check your pulse. Make sure you are not emoting (this will backfire).  Third, if the opposition is going to engage, they must defend. Don't get sucked in by a question (the opponent must defend or choose not to engage).  Finally, when your opponent engages in the discussion, make sure you keep the focus on your original statement (provide evidence or re-state your position).

You must be aware at all times.  Logic wins in the end.  Think things through and when things get heated (emotional), call it out and re-focus on your original statement. Keep an eye out for emotionally charged words and statements like (racist, you hate puppies and kittens, etc).  When I see these tactics deployed, I know I have my opponent on an 8 count.  Their defeat is immanent.

Observation, logic and tact are not passive.  You must actively employ them in discussion.  Don't get thrown off course with a awry statement or deflection.

Be gentle in delivery. 

Do you debate?

Thanks

Lance Cashion

Defeat 'Them' on Nov 2nd

 

The Hybrid Health Plan of Tomorrow (post-Obamacare)

I was just running some quotes for a client.  We all know that we're going to see some huge rate increases in the next 6 months (Obamacare).  That does not stop folks from needing health insurance.  As an agent, I am responsible for directing this process for my clients.  They depend on my to make the right decision for them.  The choice that makes sense and will protect & provide for them in a time of need.

Here is what I came up with for a 45 year old female in Texas (good health).  She is currently paying $350 and its going to increase over $400 in June.

• HSA Plan 75/25: $2500 Deductible = $192/mo
• SBA $5000 Accident Coverage = $29.95/mo
• $20,000 Lump Sum: Critical Illness/Long Term Disability/Life Benefit = $30/mo

Total: $251.95

I just saved her $149 per month and provided better coverage.  Not to mention, I served her need by protecting her on all fronts for a fraction of her current premium.  When rates increase in 6 months, she'll be better positioned to absorb the blow.

There you have it!  The method of insuring for the PO (Post-Obamacare) world. It is a hybrid combination of several products that provide protection and security.  I've been doing this for years... It was always one of many options... Tomorrow, it may be THE ONLY option.

It is just a matter of time before we start seeing $20K and $50K deductible health plans hit the market... you hear it here first.

Holler if you need help with this stuff!  If you are interested in work with a team dedicated to helping people with this stuff, holler.

Lance Cashion

American Health Underwriters

Intel: Lessons from MassCare and What We Can Expect

Well, it’s been nearly a month since my last blog entry.  I’ve been working with my team on the task of repositioning our organization in light of Healthcare Reform Legislation.  That said, I have posted an article below by Mark Gaunya who is the president of the Massachusetts Association of Health Underwriters (MAHU).He provides solid insight into what we can expect from Obamacare.

I think this quote from Mark sums it up; “Health Insurance is expensive because health CARE is expensive”.  The article explains that Obamacare is focused on symptoms of rising costs, not the disease.  Furthermore, I submit that this legislation misses the mark completely.  The question begs to be asked…  Is Healthcare Reform REALLY about lower costs OR is HealthCare Reform just an expansion of bureaucracy and Government power. Read more on Bureaucracy here.

Decide for yourself!

Article Link: Download Be Careful what you wish for, America-INN article.

The original article is from Insurance News Net Magazine

http://www.insurancenewsnetmagazine.com

Have a good day.

Lance Cashion

American Health Underwriters

Intel: Health Insurance Premiums Increasing in Six Months

Now is the time to purchase health insurance. 

Below is some information based on my research and some ideas that can help you and your family navigate this environment.

As you are well aware, on Sunday March 21, 2010 The United States Congress passed the Healthcare Reform Bill.  We are seeing positive effects of the legislation within the market.

In the short-term (6 months), we see a major catalyst on the horizon that our agents, current policyholders and prospective clients need to know about.  Individual Health Premiums are going to increase significantly in 6 months.  Some major factors for this increase include; the first wave of guarantee issue applicants joining current risk pools (children with pre-existing conditions), elimination of policy lifetime maximum amounts, and the requirement that all policies cover preventative care.  For families with children with pre-existing conditions, this portion of the legislation is a good idea.

What can you do, as the consumer to be proactive?

-Act with a sense of URGENCY! It is time to buy a health insurance plan that you and your family can stay on for several years without feeling the effects of these major increases.

-Buy Major Medical Plans and HSAs that have 24-36 month Rate Guarantees (for additional premium, you can lock your rate for up to 3 years)  Note: I have one insurer that offers an HSA with a 4 year fixed rate!

-Look at this as getting a discount on your health insurance.  Six months from now will be too late.

-If you have a child with a Pre-existing condition.  You may want move the rest of the family to a new plan now and leave the one child on your current plan.  The goal is to move your child with pre-ex to a guaranteed issue plan in 6 months.  This will save you money in the long run.

-Consider the HSA!  If you don't know about it, research it or ask me.

As you can see, actively engaging this process is the only way to go!  Hopefully this information is helpful.

Thanks

Lance Cashion

email here

Healthcare Reform Logic: Bureaucracy 2.0

Ok, I admit it.  I did not break for lunch a few days ago because I got into a political battle on my Facebook Wall.  I could not help myself.  Like I told a friend this week;  Aside from traditional media, social media is one of the only ways for folks (like me) to broadcast a message and have it get heard.  Of course the exchange was related to Healthcare Reform legislation.  I am completely against this monstrosity of a bill (for the record).  This is basically continuation of my previous post on Healthcare Reform Logic.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We DON’T have a Healthcare problem in America.  We have a Bureaucracy problem!  

Why should we give control and responsibility of our Healthcare to the government bureaucracy, when they can’t effectively solve the problems with Medicare and Social Security?  Again, this is not about healthcare, it’s about expansion of bureaucracy. Remember, bureaucracy only serves itself. Expecting it to behave counter to its nature is foolish.  Now, we're going to add the IRS to the mix? 

A friend asked me this question:

“Why does the "bureaucracy" (an organization made up of Americans like me and you, left and right...) get all your ire, yet private companies, with their profit-motivations, get a pass? "Profit" should not even be in the healthcare equation?”

My answer (posed as questions):

“If "Profit" should not be in the Healthcare equation, how should physicians, facilities, nurses, patient processing centers, etc be compensated? Do you work?
Do you accept a wage?  Does the company you work for make a profit?” 

If you don’t like profits, stop working and consuming things that cost money…. You will starve.  Again, we have a disconnect in logic, comprehension and common senses within the population.

Three things in this regard:

1. They don’t get it 

2. They are in complete denial 

3. They reject reality believing that will make reality irrelevant. 

Expanding the IRS is to police the American people (in the form of taxes, fees, etc) in regard to their health insurance is not the answer. It is, in fact the problem.  Bureaucracy is the reality.

"The Federal Government has its function but expansion into private healthcare is not one of them. It is like filling a fully-functional swimming pool with cement because you found a small crack at the bottom. Filling your pool with cement will fix the crack but your pool is rendered useless. Removing the cement is virtually impossible without expending massive effort (and in the case of a Bureaucracy, it knows this)." (from my blog)

Do you want a solution to the health insurance crisis?  (“Healthcare” is a misnomer) Here it is in shorthand:

1. Decouple employment from health insurance (this ain't 1940): abolish group insurance
2. Full portability (w/ pre-ex eligibility period 90 days)
3. Instead of paying an employee's premium, Employers invest the money into their employee's Health Savings Account....
4. Full Takeover of pre-ex by insurance companies (this was agreed on last year by insurance companies)
5. Require all Americans to have a basic plan in place (credits for those who can't afford it).  Create guidelines for those who desire to “self insure”
6. The Gov't acts as a re-insurer or the insurer of last resort. (Claims over $500K)
7. $5000 annual max limits on HSA account contributions-no lifetime max
8. Allow health premiums to be paid out of HSA accounts for up to 1 year (if laid off or unemployed).

The above are SOLUTIONS. The government is not looking for solutions. They are looking to expand, like any bureaucracy.  It must be fought and defeated in all forms!  Bureaucracy kills the human spirit, creativity, personal growth and freedom!  If you have questions about health insurance or need a sounding board?  Shoot me an email.

Thanks

Lance Cashion

Intel: Healthcare Reform Timeline (House Reconciliation Revision)

Here we go.  Below is a timeline for the current Healthcare Reform legislation (House Reconciliation Revision- Apr 1st enactment).  This gives the basics as we know them now.  For the record, I do not support this legislation.  I will save my opinions for a later time.

Link to Timeline document file (PDF): Download HC Reform Bill Timeline_6

Have a nice day

Lance Cashion

ps. If you have questions about health insurance or the effects of this reform on premiums, please feel free to email me.

Intel: Healthcare Reform Logic

Many of you have asked me my opinions on Healthcare Reform.  Rather than give you a political rant, I will provide you with insight into how I view and approach problems.  On a side note, thank you to everyone who replied to my Newsletter with questions (Link to opt-in: Click here).  I hope that I have served you well.  If not, you can call me out on my own blog for the world to see! LOL (watch the language... hee hee)

Ok, I said it! "Healthcare Reform!" Some of you have been waiting for me to dive into this one. So I will. And I will do so by addressing the REAL issue, which has very little to do with Healthcare and more to do with Bureaucracy (and function of). We need to look at this for what it is, bureaucracy attempting to solve problems for people/organizations outside the bureaucracy. Solving problems within a dynamic environment like Healthcare/Health Insurance is not within Bureaucracy's skill set. And I'll explain why.

It's like giving a commercial contactor a blank check for a $10,000 home kitchen remodel. Empirical evidence proves that bureaucracies cannot efficiently function to serve outside themselves, much less solve problems outside themselves. By their nature, bureaucracies are self- serving and only interested in self preservation. There are positive and negative attributes. It's how Bureaucracies function and their uses that is important. They behave and function like cement. Cement is not pliable or cooperative. Cement is dense, unyielding and not easily changed or modified. Bureaucracies share these characteristics. The Federal Government is the ultimate bureaucracy. Wanting, hoping, and/or wishing that the Federal Government bureaucracy will behave any differently is at best wishful thinking and at worst ignorant. This is the same in regards to Healthcare Reform. The intention of Healthcare Reform may be good, but we're asking an institution to behave contrary to its very nature.

For example: We can't expect a school bus to successfully execute hair-pin turn like a Ferrari can. We can't expect a 747 Aircraft to bank like an F-22 Raptor. The same laws apply to Government and Bureaucracies, in general. Expecting them to behave counter to their nature is illogical and unrealistic. That said I want you to know that I'm not prejudice against Cement, School busses, 747s, or the Federal Government. In fact, they are essential for the tasks that they were designed for (transport or support of a high volume of people, weight or goods). The Federal Government has its function but expansion into private healthcare is not one of them. It is like filling a fully-functional swimming pool with cement because you found a small crack at the bottom. Filling your pool with cement will fix the crack but your pool is rendered useless. Removing the cement is virtually impossible without expending massive effort (and in the case of a Bureaucracy, it knows this).

You don't rebuild your engine if all you need is an oil change. You don't call a plumbing company to perform heart surgery and you don't call a hospital to install a hot water heater. I guess you get the picture… I like analogies.

I submit Healthcare needs an oil change, not a rebuild or overhaul. Like the media, the Federal Government (particularly Congress) has become adept at the art of manipulating the perception of reality (or portrayal of). Like the artist, Salvador Dali, who painted in a quasi-realistic form called surrealism where the images conjure a sense of the recognizable common object or scene, but is abstracted by placing it in a non-realistic environment or by deforming its shape. Basically, they present a hyper-reality or non-reality when it suites their self-serving nature. It becomes less about the individual's survival and more about the Bureaucracy's survival. I will be the first one to tell you that Bureaucracies are present within the Healthcare industry. However, there is a huge difference when the bureaucracy is sustained by profits (taxes are not profits). No profits, no more insurance company. In contrast, the Federal Government Bureaucracy is self-aware and knows that it feeds itself through taxes which we are forced to pay. There is no incentive for this particular Bureaucracy to do anything but grow larger and become denser, further cementing the environment(s) it comes in contact with, rendering them uninhabitable by anything but the Bureaucracy.

Next week, I'll dive into this subject again and we'll look at it from different angle. I'll try to leave personal politics out of it b/c there is too much emotional charge.

So, you get where I'm going with this? We have a problem in America and it has less to do with Healthcare and more to do with Bureaucracy gone wild. I refuse to get involved with the political minutia because I'm about attacking and curing the disease. I'm about seeing through the fog to what the real problem is. Given, I am one man… what is one man's input worth? Can input from individuals who solve problems for a living penetrate the largest bureaucracy man has ever known?

See you next week on this one!

Lance Cashion
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Labels: Bureaucracy, Health Care Reform, Healthcare Reform, problem solving