

OK, take a deep breath.
Done? Good, because before you get your panties up in a bunch (Glenn Beck, I’m looking at you) about the “Health Choices” part of that title, let’s actually look at what this person will be doing before wondering when the Commissioner to decide whether you can get that hemorrhoid clipped. In Sec. 142 the duties and authority of the Commissioner are outlined:
(1) Qualified Plan Standards - establishing qualified health benefits plan standards. This includes leading something called a Health Insurance Exchange, which I am pretty sure has nothing to do with anything interesting, but it sounds a lot like the stock market exchanges we, as strident capitalists, strive for, so it can’t be that bad. Right? Individual affordability credits are also mentioned and sound ominous, but seeing as both of these topics appear later in this bill they’re probably worth tackling at a future time.
(2) Promoting Accountability – This includes complying with audits, ensuring that only qualified health benefits plans are available, and making sure the insurance companies pay for the studies done to determine whether they are kosher or not. While there is probably plenty of legal gobbeldy-gook to prevent the following scenario, it warrants mentioning because it seems so easy given the corruptible nature of our political-lobbyist-insurance company complex:
INSURANCE COMPANY PRICK: How much will it cost us to have you guys audit our insurance performance? And by audit I mean turn the other way while we do business as usual and deny little Billy that new kidney.
COMMISSIONER: Umm…well…my wife’s breasts are sagging, so a couple of implants…oh and I need a pre-auth to cover Viagra for…umm…my friend. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.
INSURANCE COMPANY PRICK: Sorry, your wife’s saggy breasts are a pre-existing condition, you should have known they were going to be scraping the floor when you were younger and they were already swinging at the knees. We won’t cover that.
COMMISSIONER: Wait but you aren’t allowed to invoke pre-existing conditions anymore. That’s why I am auditing you.
INSURANCE COMPANY PRICK: Damn, you’re right. OK deal. So the audit is done, right?
COMMISSIONER: Yep, you passed!
INSURANCE COMPANY PRICK: Great! Thanks! By the way, your wife’s sagging breasts are considered elective surgery and we cannot cover their repair, have a nice day! [click]
COMMISSIONER: Damn.
Other Commissioner roles include data collection for the promotion of “quality and value, protecting con

Looking globally, the Commissioner has broad authority to enact many rules and regulations aimed at reigning in the powerful insurance companies, promote accountability, jump-start quality and cost-effectiveness research, and solve health care disparities. This brings up a few interesting points. First, who is responsible for this stuff now? I fear that no one is, and if so, that is really rather depressing but not that surprising, as this explains why insurance companies can do whatever the hell they want without any fear for real punitive damages. It is just depressing that our society long ago decided the government should institute mechanisms to make sure my Tiger Beat arrives in my mailbox on time, but no one gave a shit about making sure your health care was being followed.
That said, where does the Commissioner’s power end? Frankly, after readi

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