...company. This rebate is required by the Affordable Care Act - the federal health reform law. Republicans who have been conditioned like Pavlov's dog by Frank Luntz call it "Obamacare."
An insurance company has to issue a rebate if it does not spend at least 80% of the premiums it receives on healthcare services, such as doctors and hospital bills. No more than 20% of the premiums may be spent on administrative costs such as salaries, sales and advertising.
This requirement is referred to as the "Medical Loss Ratio" standard or the "80/20 rule." The 80/20 rule in the Affordable Care Act is intended to ensure that consumers get value for their healthcare dollars.
You can learn more about the 80/20 rule and other provisions of the health reform law at:
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/costs/value-for-premium/index.html
Note that the operative word is "learn." If you actually want to learn something you'll go to the website. Otherwise, feel free to mindlessly regurgitate what the GOP talking heads shove down your throat.
In fact I would urge them to be principled and return it to the insurance company ASAP.
I can be against a policy, but if they are giving it out, I can take it without shame. I paid for it.
It reminds me when they had that program to give people a rebate of $40 when they got boxes to convert their TVs. I thought it was a stupid waste of money and a dumb program. But I paid for it with my taxes and as long as they were giving it away, I took it. If they asked me to vote and the vote would mean the program would be ended and I wouldn't get the rebate, I would vote to end it. But as long as they had it and I legally qualified, I took it.
The other analogy is the Senator (age forced me to forget which one) who said if they wanted to send a rocket to the moon to see bring back green cheese, he would vote against it and beg the other senators to do the same. BUT, if they passed it and they were going to build it anyway, he would fight like hell to get the program based in his state.
Finally, the rebate is a short term bribe. If we ever end up like Canada and you have to go to India for a hip transplant, or if we end up like England and you have to "go private," which people do because the system is shit (It isn't a phrase I made up), your $300 will come in handy
Ten years from now Obama is gonna be nationally hailed for the changes he's been able to make NOW. If the party of old, fat, greedy, white haired, bullying, religious fanatics would stop their OBSTRUCTION EXPRESS perhaps a multitude of national ills the GOP refuses to recognize could be rectified. SHIT! Maybe even this Recession caused by the 1%'s predilection for casino gambling could change for the better.
if u really care about all this, you'd send the check to the Govt to be used to pay down the debt.
What better form of showing the highest respect and degree of support to the govt.
I'm an independent contractor. Pre-Obamacare healthcare insurance had too many ways for the Insurer to bail on the patient if the patient wasn't in a "Group Policy" That was a very expensive losing bet IMO; so I chose not too play.
Costs are still staggeringly prohibitive so if injured it's the ER, and if sick I'll just collapse, die, and shit/piss myself shopping at Wal-mart some day.
Jeff posted that only assholes make personal attacks.
To label the other side as "old, fat, greedy, white haired, bullying, religious fanatics" is just a personal attack with no discussion of issues.
I have seen hospitals in France, England, and Canada. I am not looking forward to anything like that here.
Did you ever go to the post office? Can't wait until the group that manages the post office - the feds - is in charge of health care. Oooops. P.O. almost bankrupt in 10 days. Can't wait until the feds run hospitals.
Google how many people work for the Brit National Health service, research how many doctors there are versus administrators, and maybe "old, fat, greedy, white haired, bullying, religious fanatics" have a message that might be worht listening to just for two seconds. Not more.
National Health. Abandon hope all ye who enter here."
Not even close. Notice Phil offers no documentation as to federal takeover of health care. Phil has no clue what ACA does; doesn't want to read; so will have to wait until 2014-2015 to get an idea. Phil won't even read WAPO Don Graham's rag or Ezra Klien's excellent wonk blog. Phil is zoomin' you along these lines:
5 Myths About Obamacare by Bill Keller Editor NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/opinion/keller-five-obamacare-myths.html?pagewanted=all
First, I was expressing opinion. You don't refer to facts to rebut it. You cite to another opinion piece of someone who differs. In fact, most of the piece has nothing to do with anything I said.
I said I had seen hospitals in several other countries and they sucked. I suggested the reader google information of survival rates for cancer and the number of non-doctors vs. administrators in national health. He never disputes any of that.
The closest the piece the article mentioned comes to is it talks about the "myth" that Obama Care is nationalizing health care. Although I never said it was a take over, it is true I implied that Obama Care would one day be in charge of many decisions. It is the control that counts.
Indeed, it is impossible to dispute the fed already controls much of health care when they have 2,000 pages of new regulations. and that is just the start. There are thousands of places where additional regulations will be imposed "in the discretion of the Secretary."
This means that the agencies will be promulgating regulations by the thouands of pages. If you doubt that, take a look at the size of the Fed Code of Regulations, or CA's version. hundreds of thousands of pages of "regulations" that are law.
He disputes it is a federal take over, saying it directs people into private insurance. That may be true, but the policies are now dictated by the feds. I used to have a policy with a certain deductable that I liked. It had certain co-pays. Many of the features I wanted are no longer available. What is offered is mandated on the insurance company by D.C.
THIS IS A TAKE OVER in reality. True, I deal with the insurance company. But the fed dictates what they can offer to a degree that the have the say on most of the decisions that I made when I chose my policy.
This is a de facto take over, even if not in name.
It is much easier for larger corporations to deal with these types of regulations than it is for the smaller ones. Many types of regulations are welcomed by larger corporations as it stifles competition.
This is a perspective very few can even have Let alone understand
But we are definitely in the minority
Sure we can lobby but big business and unions have far more money
And there are far more people looking for free giveaways So we are always out voted
This is going to choke off small everything
...Not true. You'll still be able to choke your chicken, NeedleDick. Couldn't help myself - you gave me a straight line. 
or is this what Frank Luntz told you? or is it Grover Norquist?
One would think, after eating rubbish for years, one would be tired of it.
And to claim it does is just part of a right wing conspiracy?
...the ACA will become about as popular as beer and pussy.
Why not require every business, government agency, non-profits and other civic organizations to 80% on what they say they instead putting more and more money on executives pockets!
Budget will be balanced, economy will grow and lying and there will be lower levels cheating.
Why is it so hard for some of you numskulls to understand this fact!