I slept pretty well, last night … (X-posted to the GD)

[1StrongBlackMan]

Hours before retiring, I was on a conference call that resulted in my receiving a call from one of the participants. I am very close to someone with whom she is very close … we met more than 35 years ago, but had not been in direct contact in probably 10 years. As we chatted about our lives … filling in the gaps of what we knew from our mutual friend … she indicated that she is employed by a very large insurance provider. This led us to discuss the future of the ACA. I related to her that I think the ACA is a good and necessary, but imperfect thing; but confessed I am concerned about the beating it’s been taking, as of late.

What she told me, lifted my spirits … She said that the talk from her big wigs is: “This November 30th (ACA website) fix date is a lock”, and she stated that her company’s recent resource shifts seem to support an anticipation of increased volume. Specifically, there have been VP-level demands for budgetary give backs from everywhere, except customer services and marketing.

She, further, stated that another person in our circle (that I only know about, but have never met) that works as a Media Consultant, developing and managing large-scale campaigns, had told her that he had heard for the past week and a half, that there have been quiet asks for promotional ideas centered around “a tarnished product that will be rolled out anew.” … The specific concern being, although the product has been completely re-worked, they know that it will be met with, not only skepticism; but

out-right false claims, on top of the normal “glitches” that every business experiences (mostly user error), that will be used to discredit the product.

She ended the call with: “(1SBM) … of all the things to worry about in our lives, I don’t think the ACA will be one of them.”

{I realize the above “report”, raises all the key internet “Yeah Right!” red flags, as it absolutely IS a “I heard from someone that someone told them that …” story, that is the hall-mark of internet gossip; but never the less, I slept well last night.

[Warpy]

1. I just remember what a clusterfuck Medicare was when it rolled out

It took them two years to fix all the glitches and the by-mail system was a lot less complicated.

I'm sleeping just fine, too.

Oh, but I would love to know who suggested a company that had been fired in Canada for incompetence and which was a heavy contributor to the GOP.

[IrishAyes]

2. Please pass along my thanks to your friend, 1SBM; I shall sleep better now also.

It's not that I've doubted our ability to straighten out the enrollment mess, but it's always good to hear from people who know more about what's going on the world than I do.

As for the early indicators your friend mentioned; I had an investor friend who said the way he always timed the market was to watch cardboard box orders since an upsurge in those meant that businesses expected to increase their shipping. He also watched for lumber sale increases since that's an early indicator of a rise in the housing market.

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. There Are ...

indicators out there for those willing to look ... whenever a company ramps up their customer service and marketing, they are not predicting ... they know an increase in business is coming.

[sheshe2]

4. K&R

Thank you, your friend is so right.

I know it will in the end be right. There is far to much spin out there. Yet I believe it is driven by the fear of success not the hope of failure.

Thanks for sharing your conversation, 1SBM~