Insurance Carriers to Trump/GOP: Fish or Cut Bait...NOW.

OK, I was about to go with the more obvious saying: "Sh*t or get off the pot", but I'm trying to avoid blatant profanity in the headlines, at least.

Here's a tweetstorm from fomer director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, Andy Slavitt, from yesterday/continuing through today. He confirms everything I've been sounding the alarm about, especially regarding the CSR payment crisis:

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is why don't more health plans speak up about what a disaster AHCA would be. 1

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 5, 2017

A related question I get asked a lot is why don't health plans speak up more loudly about the impact of govt reneging on CSR payments. 2

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 5, 2017

By tomorrow, I will have asked 10 CEOs that question & will tweet back what they say. 3

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 5, 2017

In the meantime... some say publicly what many of them say privately. 4 pic.twitter.com/4IKErdhICi

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 5, 2017

Follow along if interested in what I hear. 5

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 5, 2017

I've had about a dozen or so 1:1 conversations with insurer CEOs. My favorite quotes... 6

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 6, 2017

Best advice for a Congress:

"Don't rush into something that makes things worse."

7

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 6, 2017

Biggest misconception about health care: "Selling across state lines-- there's no there there." 8

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 6, 2017

Biggest immediate issue:

"Paying cost sharing reduction commitment, hands down. Not just for '17, but at least 2018." 9

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 6, 2017

Timing of decision needed on CSRs & other support.

"The actuaries are already at work."

Drop dead date for 2018 rate filing: April 30. 10

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 6, 2017

What will actuaries assume if 2018 CSRs aren't decided by April 30.

"That it's not getting paid and we price accordingly." 11

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 6, 2017

How will you make decisions about 2018 participation?

"The board." 12

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 6, 2017

Responses to 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 in my tweets were 100% unanimous. 13

— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) April 6, 2017