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I am puzzled as to how this bill will help people like T.Mommy. If she can't afford a policy now with pre-existing conditions then what section of this bill tells us that the new and reformed policy will be affordable for people like her. Do they get a pass and pay nothing? Where is the chart showing how much we will pay for this. I have a friend who had a stroke and could no longer afford her Bl Cross policy. She and her hubby pull in quite a nice paycheck from combined ss and sales from a product she pushes. She was able to get on ACESS which is a state insurance program. I would rather see state insurance programs open up for those who are in dire straights than this national approach. Perhaps too if we eliminate the "guests" living here on the taxpayers backs we could even afford this current proposal. We just can't do it all.
Truer words were never written. It appers it's the pre-existing condition clause (in your case) that is the major problem for you. Can you not see that it would have been far easier to just strike that clause through a mandate and let the market adjust itself to it? Consider the savings to all of us.
The other comments you made about circumstances that can change due to a variety of factors, thus pushing people into bad situations are very valid. Have you thought about all the others who are in a somewhat similar situation economically - the are scraping by, paying their bills and insurance premiums, their co-pays, their deductibles - perhaps lucky enough to keep up with everything as it currently stands, and now will have to pay MORE for others who got "sweet deals" -- such as the exclusive union members who just negotiated a windfall at their (and your) expense and the states excluded from the madates? There is nothing these folks can do to change their financial circumstance but to earn more (so they can pay more) which isn't possible in this economy. Yes, the system is broken and is going to screw even more people than it has in the past.
Premiums will go up, co-pays will go up, deductibles will go up, benefits will go down. True "leveling of the playing field". You might say that's one promise that the Democrats have delivered on.
Great post. A simple mandate to see that pre existing conditions are included in a policy would have been more bearable. Like when they mandated that insurance companies cover mental illness. Across the board our premiums went up, but not much and then you could opt for plan that was catastrophic which is what we have since we are self unemployed right now.
Crap.. the REAL progressive core of the political party offered up reform that really STUCK it to the insurance industry.
It originally created
a) STANDARDS to be able to call yourself "insurance"
b) Removed the ability of insurance companies to drop someone simply becaues they are "sick"
c) Does away with pre-existing conditions
d) Created a public option .. OPTION so that the public coudl decide whether they wanted to pay a premium in which 30% went to bull**** private overhead OR have a REDUCED premium where the majority of it actually went to medicine (5% administrative overhead)
e) created the start of electronic records - this saves overhead, mistakes etc.
f) subsidies for families that can not afford premiums.. bringing the % of income that woudl be spent on premuims to around the 8-10% mark (as illustrated by the calculator posted a few pages back). Yes, this does create more government spending BUT what it ALSO does is put money INTO the insurance system that otherwise wouldn't be there (families not able to afford insurance wouldn't be paying for insurance) AND limits the amount of uncompensated care that occurs in this country.. WHICH lowers costs at the POS WHICH helps SLOW the rise of insurance premiums every year.
g) Called for more stringent monitoring of Medicaid/Medicare fraud
THere was so much more that the strong democratic House bill did..
Yes, the rest of the government body.. the majority of the government body.. is destroying the strength of the bill....
BUT.. EVEN the bill we have NOW is stronger than anything Bush proposed becasue it
a) lowers hte number of uninsured
b) offers subsidies so that more families can actual purchase and BE insured
c) does away with pre-existing condition clauses.
AND.. since hte public option was done away with they are now talking about breaking anti -trust..
All these slow the rise of premium rates over the next 10 years. as I said earlier you can't REVERSE costs, you can only slow the rise...
the bellyaching about the bill.. those in "cadillac plans" which, BTW, also leads to overuse of the system at the expense of the rest of us..and taxing the more wealthy of the population.. which enjoys a 300% difference in income from the rest of the country...
and yes. . the mandates are an issue.. But get over it.. your car insurance is mandated.. and this needs to be too...
But I propose this..
If all who do not like the mandates which to ***** about it and want to option out..
THEN.. at the POS when they walk into a hospital they have to carry ID to identify themselves as non compliant..
THen.. they have to SIGN OVER A LIEN on their house, their car to pay their doctor bills.. this way, when they recieve the care they refused to pay insurance for, they can't claim it can't be paid for.. and the rest of us do not have to pay the bill for that person! Oh.. and he can claim he was "personal responsible" for himself.. win /win i'd say!
I really get tired of dragging Bush into this picture. This is the current administrations baby. Well, so you sign over a lien to pay for services that may have saved your life. Not seeing the problem here. My car is a state mandate and if I dont' like the premiums I can move to another state. This mandate is at the federal level and innocent people will be going to jail, but that seems not to bother you as long as you get yours. The reality is we really do not know what is in this bill yet.
Great post. A simple mandate to see that pre existing conditions are included in a policy would have been more bearable. Like when they mandated that insurance companies cover mental illness. Across the board our premiums went up, but not much and then you could opt for plan that was catastrophic which is what we have since we are self unemployed right now.
My state (along with about 30 others) already has a plan to deal with those with pre-existing conditions. It's called the high-risk pool. But the reaction of many upon seeing this is But I can't afford those premiums!
ALL I WANT IS THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE INSURANCE so that I can get medical coverage!!!
GOD DAM.. you guys are so infuriating....
I CAN'T PURCHASE INSURANCE WITHOUT A SUBSIDY.. IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE.. I CAN'T PURCHASE INSURANCE BECAUSE I HAVE A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION, WHICH DOUBLES THE EXPENSIVE PROBLEM.
PERIOD....
So.. EITHER GIVE US A UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM .. where EVERYONE has access equally and fairly.. AND PAYABLE THROUGH THE TAXES WE PAY.. or COMPLETELY OVERHAUL THE SYSTEM SO THAT THE REST OF US SHUT OUT CAN GET IT!
WHY.. WHY is that so god damned hard for you people to get. YES.. I'm yelling..
ALL I WANT IS THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE INSURANCE WITH TO LIVE IN A PAPER BOX TO DO SO.. so that I can get treatment when I need it.. SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO DIE from lack of ability to GET treatment.... AND I HARDLY sit on my ASS and complain about it.. NEITHER DO THE MILLIONS OF OTHER WORKING AMERICANS that are having the same problem as me..
Forget it.. really.. it's useless argue with a bunch of people who have the compassion of a rock..
Have a nice life.
Seriously, I want you to get insurance for yourself, but not at the expense of the rest of the nation. This bill will cost people their jobs and perhaps even their freedom. You have been very insulting when people disagree with you and when you put your life on a public forum you are setting yourself up for a light slamming. I have had plenty and since it is not my neighbor, friend or family member and only a faceless blogger, I don't care.
We had to go without insurance for our 3 children and ourselves when the last recession hit and we were not prepared and that was our fault. So we lived on the edge for about 5 years trying to rebuild a business and I remember how proud we were when we were able to sit down with our agent and buy a humble policy for our kids. We did not run out and buy a car, a house, just a policy. I think the pre existing conditions would be an easy one for a country to address but why do we have to include millions for sex ed?
You are still young and you will do just fine, your business will grow and someday you may even be able to afford a policy with your conditions.
Seriously, I want you to get insurance for yourself, but not at the expense of the rest of the nation. This bill will cost people their jobs and perhaps even their freedom. You have been very insulting when people disagree with you and when you put your life on a public forum you are setting yourself up for a light slamming. I have had plenty and since it is not my neighbor, friend or family member and only a faceless blogger, I don't care.
We had to go without insurance for our 3 children and ourselves when the last recession hit and we were not prepared and that was our fault. So we lived on the edge for about 5 years trying to rebuild a business and I remember how proud we were when we were able to sit down with our agent and buy a humble policy for our kids. We did not run out and buy a car, a house, just a policy. I think the pre existing conditions would be an easy one for a country to address but why do we have to include millions for sex ed?
You are still young and you will do just fine, your business will grow and someday you may even be able to afford a policy with your conditions.
My state (along with about 30 others) already has a plan to deal with those with pre-existing conditions. It's called the high-risk pool. But the reaction of many upon seeing this is But I can't afford those premiums!
If they can not, how will they be paid?
How do the supporters know they can afford the premiums with this bill? Scares me a little bit not knowing what is in the bill that they are still working on right this minute. I thought there were state by state options for high risk people and that is how our friend got coverage. Might be a better solution to ramp up these programs and leave the rest of us alone.
There seems to be quite a few "researchers" and I am just not sure which ones to believe in Bob. You have read this bill? Do you know what they are including and excluding as we type? All this transparency is too much to take sometimes, lol. But if you have an inside source of information that is great and I am most eager to know what it will cost me. If it is less, then I will be the first poster on to sing the praises of the bill.
There seems to be quite a few "researchers" and I am just not sure which ones to believe in Bob. You have read this bill? Do you know what they are including and excluding as we type? All this transparency is too much to take sometimes, lol. But if you have an inside source of information that is great and I am most eager to know what it will cost me. If it is less, then I will be the first poster on to sing the praises of the bill.
I suspect Harvard and USC had reasons to come to the conclusion they have. I don't think the Conference process made many changes to the basic content of reform initiatives. That back room meeting, as some refer to it, was primarily concerned with the financing of the Bill. If they haven't already, they will send it to the CBO for financial evaluation. Once CBO reports, we all will see, well be able to see, the final product. The change to what information that has been available is not likely to be significant to the study those institutions performed, or I doubt they would have released their analysis. I would think finding out what it would cost you, is doable now. The LA Times link give very little info, but google harvard usc health care overhaul you will find several links to more detaied reports.
How do the supporters know they can afford the premiums with this bill? Scares me a little bit not knowing what is in the bill that they are still working on right this minute. I thought there were state by state options for high risk people and that is how our friend got coverage. Might be a better solution to ramp up these programs and leave the rest of us alone.
The supporters don't know they can afford the premiums. Some may be in for a surprise. Like this sad liberal here.
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I thought there were state by state options for high risk people and that is how our friend got coverage. Might be a better solution to ramp up these programs and leave the rest of us alone.