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Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,750,914 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TristansMommy
Obama's healthplan won't affect them. Obama's plan is NOT a UHI!
I suggest you go and READ Obama's plan on his website rather than read peoples opinions on it on this board.
First, there are many American's employed at LARGE companies that do not offer health insurance. I'm not talking about "Joe the Plumber" type companies, but fortune 500 companies.. like WALMART who had been in the news for offering little, if any health benefits for their employers. Obama's plan will mandate that they provide adequate coverage for their employees and if they don't they will pay a "fine" into a health insurance fund.
Small businesses will not be mandated to give health insurance, however, they will be given INCENTIVE with a 50% tax credit to purchase health insurance for their employees.
All those that currently have a plan they like private or employed plan.. can stay with the plan they have.
Others can choose to purchase health insurance.. the same plan that the federal employees (like Senators and Congressman purchase) which is actually much more affordable because they are in a large pool of employees. I believe it will also be on a sliding income scale (if I'm not mistaken) and subsidized by the fund that large employers contribute to if they elect not to cover their employees.
Private companies are not affected, nor are doctors, nurses etc.
And , I believe, that it will be mandated that all children under a certain age be insured.. although I may be wrong about that. that is usually more affordable and state programs are in place that help parents, again on sliding scale, purchase insurance for their children.
Far from a UHI.. but a good step in making insurance affordable for all.. which would cut down that 47 million (79% of which ARE American Citizens, 21% are foreign born non citizens both legally here and illegally).
There are many more facets to his plan to reduce costs.. and here's a link
I don't really think Obama's plan goes far enough but I understand why he feels the need to walk slowly because Americans are very leery of too much change too fast. Hopefully this is just a first step on the way to a national plan.
I don't really think Obama's plan goes far enough but I understand why he feels the need to walk slowly because Americans are very leery of too much change too fast. Hopefully this is just a first step on the way to a national plan.
I've felt the same as you.. I was a Hillary supporter... who's plan also didn't go so far as a UHI.
But Obama IS doing something positive and taking some great strides towards it, which is encouraging.. without going so far as to push people away..since many are so scared etc.
There will be no reason for the insurance carriers to exist anymore as the government might pay the bills in the future. As for doctors, nurses and other medical employees nothing would change. All those folks still go to work everyday in Canada.
If Obama's plan goes through as written, the private insurers will be very much in business. It simply calls for all businesses of over 20 people to provide health insurance to their employees, or pay into a fund so the employees can buy their own.
Obama's plan calls for increased auto adjudication...more automation, less processors. Auto adjudication also means that physicians should have the system/capabilities to electronically submit the claims. Not all physicians have this ability just yet. It is cost to providers. However, they would need less billing people in their offices as well once this is in place.
Obama's healthplan won't affect them. Obama's plan is NOT a UHI!
I suggest you go and READ Obama's plan on his website rather than read peoples opinions on it on this board.
First, there are many American's employed at LARGE companies that do not offer health insurance. I'm not talking about "Joe the Plumber" type companies, but fortune 500 companies.. like WALMART who had been in the news for offering little, if any health benefits for their employers. Obama's plan will mandate that they provide adequate coverage for their employees and if they don't they will pay a "fine" into a health insurance fund.
Small businesses will not be mandated to give health insurance, however, they will be given INCENTIVE with a 50% tax credit to purchase health insurance for their employees.
All those that currently have a plan they like private or employed plan.. can stay with the plan they have.
Others can choose to purchase health insurance.. the same plan that the federal employees (like Senators and Congressman purchase) which is actually much more affordable because they are in a large pool of employees. I believe it will also be on a sliding income scale (if I'm not mistaken) and subsidized by the fund that large employers contribute to if they elect not to cover their employees.
Private companies are not affected, nor are doctors, nurses etc.
And , I believe, that it will be mandated that all children under a certain age be insured.. although I may be wrong about that. that is usually more affordable and state programs are in place that help parents, again on sliding scale, purchase insurance for their children.
Far from a UHI.. but a good step in making insurance affordable for all.. which would cut down that 47 million (79% of which ARE American Citizens, 21% are foreign born non citizens both legally here and illegally).
There are many more facets to his plan to reduce costs.. and here's a link
Thanks for the info..Of course, it is best if I read Obama's plan myself but it never hurts to read all these great folks opinions too! I learn a lot by hearing others' view points.
Apparently you think I eat & sleep in front of my computer. I was answering the poster who said this is already the best health care system in the world. Since I'm a licensed health insurance agent, I get to see all the people who are turned down or who are rated up because of high blood pressure, asthma or who can't afford the $800 a month payment to cover their families. Then there are plans that lower the monthly premiums but have very high deductibles. Not everyone has $5,000 or $10,000 in the bank. Insurance is state regulated, so it might be different where you live. However, if someone is covered by a group plan, he/she has no idea how poor individual plans are and how expensive it can be to stay healthy. 1/2 my life I worked for a national corporation with excellent benefits and had no idea, so I can understand why so many people have the attitude that people who desire an affordable plan are "leeches."
How will this plan affect doctors and hospitals? That's an excellent question and requires a very long explanation. Take any government regulated health plan. The reason many doctors do not accept Medicare and Medicaid patients is because they don't get paid enough. My point is, to answer the original question, a plan that regulates costs could have an adverse affect on our health care system, since our medical costs are too high in the first place.
However, I agree with Tristan's Mommy. Obama is not suggesting free health care for all. I would gladly join a plan based on my ability to pay if I received comprehensive coverage that treated me fairly.
Great! Thanks for all the great points. I need to do a bit more reading on this subject though to deepen my knowledge. If I understood his plan correctly, I think people who are happy with their private insurance can keep it and those who do not have insurance will be covered under his proposed health plan. I think that's just great..
If Obama's plan goes through as written, the private insurers will be very much in business. It simply calls for all businesses of over 20 people to provide health insurance to their employees, or pay into a fund so the employees can buy their own.
That's my understanding too. Always helps to ask. Thanks for the info!
Obama's plan calls for increased auto adjudication...more automation, less processors. Auto adjudication also means that physicians should have the system/capabilities to electronically submit the claims. Not all physicians have this ability just yet. It is cost to providers. However, they would need less billing people in their offices as well once this is in place.
That is interesting. I work in a 5 doctor office; we have one person doing billing. We likely would need that person even if we had electronic billing. In fact, if we had to do it all ourselves, we'd probably have to hire another biller, as this person is also the office manager.
We need more accountability. One reason I'm concerned about health care run by the government is that there isn't much oversight. I wouldn't be surprised if there are millions of people who are "lost in the system" taking advantage of programs that have poor follow-up. On the one hand, I don't want too many regulations, but I do agree with Obama that there are some areas in which we need to have a more watchful eye in order to avoid fraud and abuse.
I posted this because I came across this article on Medicaid waste today, although $200 million isn't a lot of money in the overall scope of things.
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I was answering the poster who said this is already the best health care system in the world. Since I'm a licensed health insurance agent, I get to see all the people who are turned down or who are rated up because of high blood pressure, asthma or who can't afford the $800 a month payment to cover their families. Then there are plans that lower the monthly premiums but have very high deductibles. Not everyone has $5,000 or $10,000 in the bank. Insurance is state regulated, so it might be different where you live. However, if someone is covered by a group plan, he/she has no idea how poor individual plans are and how expensive it can be to stay healthy. 1/2 my life I worked for a national corporation with excellent benefits and had no idea, so I can understand why so many people have the attitude that people who desire an affordable plan are "leeches."
