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State officials take center stage in ACA stabilization efforts
As efforts to stabilize the Affordable Care Act exchanges begin to take shape, it’s become increasingly clear that states will play a major role.
On Tuesday, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Sen. Patty Murray, R-Wash., announced that the Senate’s upcoming bipartisan healthcare hearings will feature testimony from “those closest to the problem”—state insurance commissioners and governors. The hearings are planned for Sept. 6 and 7.
“These state leaders understand full well the challenges facing healthcare today, and many have been outspoken about how the uncertainty caused by this administration has impacted the individual insurance market and therefore families’ premiums for 2018,” Murray said.
Alexander said the goal is to pass a “small, bipartisan and balanced” ACA exchange stabilization package before the Sept. 27 deadline for insurers to lock in their final plans for 2018. He also wants the package to fund cost-sharing reduction payments and “give states more flexibility in approving insurance policies” by improving section 1332 of the ACA.
Kasich, Hickenlooper join the fray
Two state governors, meanwhile, are preparing to offer up their own healthcare plan even before the Senate hearings begin. Ohio Governor John Kasich, a Republican, and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, told Colorado Public Radio on Monday that they hope to unveil the plan within a week.
Previously, Hickenlooper and Kasich joined other state governors in speaking out against the House version of an ACA repeal-and-replace bill, arguing in a letter to Senate leaders that it “calls into question coverage for the vulnerable and fails to provide the necessary resources to ensure that no one is left out, while shifting significant costs to the states.”
That letter, as well as a Washington Post op-ed authored by Kasich and Hickenlooper, outlined a set of core principles for bipartisan healthcare reform—principles that their upcoming ACA stabilization plan will build upon, according to the CPR article. They include improving affordability, restoring stability to insurance markets, providing state flexibility, encouraging innovation and improving the regulatory environment.
Iowa submits stabilization plan
At least one state, though, isn’t waiting on Congress to rescue its individual health insurance market.
On Monday, Iowa officials submitted their application for federal regulators to approve the “Iowa Stopgap Measure,” a short-term stabilization plan formulated by the state’s insurance commissioner with the help of local health plans.
In the application (PDF), Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds urged federal officials to quickly approve the measure, noting the state faces “an immediate collapsing market that could leave thousands without health insurance and the rest with 56% or higher premium rate increases.”
The plan, which requires the use of a section 1332 waiver, would redirect the $305 million in federal funding that currently goes toward the ACA’s premium tax credits and instead fund fixed, age- and income-based premium subsidies for consumers.
It would also use federal funds to implement a reinsurance program that will reimburse insurers for high-cost individuals who incur claims greater than $100,000 on an annual basis. As part of the program, insurers would have to agree to care-management protocols.
Cartoon – How do we say “Unmitigated Disaster”
89% OF EMPLOYEES ARE DEMOTIVATED BY INEFFECTIVE MANAGERS AND LEADERS
89% of Employees are Demotivated by Ineffective Managers and Leaders
It might hurt, but look in the mirror if people around you are low energy slugs.
The greatest ability is the ability to develop abilities.
98% of employees who have good leaders are motivated to do their best. Only 11% of employees with ineffective managers felt motivated to give their best.*
The magic question:
Improvement stops when people believe they’ve reached the level of “acceptable” performance.
Challenge people to reach for the next level by asking a simple question.
“How do we take this to the next level?”
I’ve been asking teams this question. It works.
7 keys to reaching the next level:
- Paint a picture of the next level. “What might the next level look like?”
- Ask, “What might you do to take your performance to the next level?” Identify three or four possible behaviors.
- Create focus before performance.
- “What do you plan to do?”
- “What’s important?”
- Give pep talks before performance.
- “You got this.”
- “I know you can do this.”
- “I know you’re going to do even better than last time.”
- Provide immediate feedback after performance.
- “You looked down when you were thinking. You lost me.”
- “You wandered at the end of the meeting. How might you end better next time?”
- “You seemed resistant when you kept asking the same question. How might you practice greater openness?”
- Appreciate improvement. “You paused and lowered your voice before the main point of your presentation.That really worked.” The Boston Consulting Group reports that the number one factor in employee happiness is appreciation for their work.
- Clarify reasons for success.
- “What did you do differently?”
- “What did you do this time that you need to keep doing?”
Tip: You never get to the next level by repeating the past.
How might leaders bring out the best in others? In teams?
A Looming Leadership Talent Crisis: Can you solve the Leadership gap?
Cartoon – Leadership Without Negative Press
PEOPLE CAN’T SEE YOUR HEART WHEN YOU’RE LOST IN YOUR HEAD
I can not notice people. I want to notice, but I’m easily distracted.
People can’t see your heart, when you’re lost in your head.
It doesn’t matter if you want to notice people. It only matters that you do.
Distraction blocks interaction.
I walk around distracted by a million things – what’s next, problems, opportunities, and performance, to name a few. I’m contemplating a coaching client’s concerns or the next presentation.
Remember you matter.
It’s easy to forget that people watch leaders. A frown on your face signals problems to the team. You may not mean to be a downer, but a nagging frown drags others down.
It ain’t hard, but it’s important.
People talk about simple things like smiling when they describe how leaders might improve their leadership.
You object that you’re not good at smiling. That’s so sad.
Bad is stronger than good. You need at least three smiles to overcome the negative impact of one frown. You’re in the hole baby. You better get smiling.
3 tips for frowning leaders to get their smile on.
- Tell yourself you like people. Think of something you like about the person in front of you. If you don’t like people, get out of leadership.
- Find a positive thing to believe in. What positive thing might you believe about others on the team?
- Admire a strength. When you walk up to someone, think about something you admire about them.
A smile that creates wrinkles around your eyes indicates that you notice positive things.
7 small things that make a positive difference.
- Smile.
- Show interest. “How are the kids?”
- Pat on the back.
- Bring coffee for the team.
- Celebrate progress and hard work.
- Sing happy birthday.
- Say thank you. (A smile and a little eye contact takes ‘thank you’ to a whole new level.)
People Judge You by Two Criteria When They Meet You
Trust: The Cornerstone of Relationships and Leadership
Trust is the key to meaningful leadership, relationships and influence.
Most of us know this, but how do we develop trust in the workplace and at home?
3 PREVAILING BELIEFS THAT LIMIT LEADERSHIP
What you believe about yourself, others, and events governs your attitudes and behaviors.
Limiting beliefs produce limited results.
3 prevailing beliefs that limit leadership:
#1. Leaders are tough.
Leaders do tough things. Successful leaders do tough things with openness, kindness, and empathy. Navigating tensions between doing tough things with a kind heart is one of the greatest accomplishments on the leader’s journey.
The soft side of toughness:
- Openness: Open leaders listen, seek input, and ask questions.
- Kindness: Kind leaders make it easier for others to achieve great results.
- Empathy – Empathetic leaders know how to take the perspective of others.
Openness, kindness, and empathy are expressions of curiosity.
#2. Leaders tell people what to do.
When the house is on fire, command and control is appropriate. But command and control as a daily practice limits potential and marginalizes the talent.
One of the toughest transitions of leadership is the transformation from giving solutions to asking questions. Early in your career you earned promotions by providing solutions. But the leader’s job is building relationships and creating environments where others provide solutions.
#3. Leaders get things done.
The thing leaders really do is help others get things done.
In many organizations you are both leader and doer. You don’t have the luxury of focusing exclusively on the performance of others. For example, you implement the new initiative and you lead the team to implement the new initiative. You have to execute and help others execute.
Shifting hats from doer to leader means facing the challenge of stepping back so others can step in.
3 tips:
- Ask open questions in meetings.
- Pat people on the back. Do this literally and frequently.
- Remember that the orchestra makes the music. The conductor doesn’t make a sound. (Thanks to Ben Zander for this insight.)
What prevailing beliefs limit leadership?
How might leaders overcome limiting beliefs?
HENRY KOTULA 