Unless you have been living under a rock lately, you are well aware that our country is about to see some major changes to health care. Health care reform was a top priority of President Obama and it has been very apparent as he has been very determined to sign his reform bill into law.
To be frank, I haven’t been following the whole thing as closely as I would like. I feel like I still need to do some homework to get caught up on the details, but below I have pasted in a great article (from healthinsuranceproviders.com) that explains what the Obama’s health care bill will mean for us – this year, next year, and in the years to come.
If you are unsure of the details, I recommend reading it. There really are a lot of changes that will likely be affecting every American. It isn’t one of those obscure bills that only affects a small handful of people.
So, as the details continue to unfold – which I am sure this whole health care reform thing is just beginning, I will continue to post helpful info about it. Enjoy!
On 3/23/2010 President Obama signed the health care reform bill into law. While there are still differences that need to be reconciled between the various versions of the healthcare bill here is the timeline for the health care reform changes and how Obama’s health plan (”ObamaCare”) and health care reform affects you and your health insurance:
New Health Care Bill: Changes Happening in 2010
- Children age 26 and younger will be able to remain covered under their parents health insurance plans (this is increased from past age limits which were anywhere from age 22-25).
- Medicare recipients will receive a $250 rebate to help in closing the “doughnut hole” (with the goal being to close the doughnut hole completely by 2020).
- Health insurance companies will be banned from excluding coverage for pre-existing conditions for children.
- Adults with pre-existing conditions will be eligible for coverage into high risk health insurance pools until future health care exchanges are up and running.
- Health insurance companies will be prohibited from levying annual limits and lifetime limits on coverage.
- All new health insurance plans must provide coverage for preventative services with no out of pocket cost (all health plans will be forced to comply by 2018).
- Those companies that offer health benefits for early retirees ages 55 to 64 will receive assistance from a temporary reinsurance program.
- All new health insurance plans will have to comply with new regulations that lay out an appeals process for when health insurance claims are denied.
- Small businesses that employ less than 50 people are eligible for a tax credit equal to 35% of their health insurance premiums (this increases to 50% by 2014).
New Health Care Bill: Changes Happening in 2011
- Medicare will offer wellness visits for free one a year and personalized prevention plans. All new Medicare plans will offer preventative services with no out of pocket cost.
- Seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage or the Prescription Drug Plan will receive a 50% discount on brand name drugs immediately with additional prescription drug discounts to follow.
- The current penalty tax of 10% on all distributions from a Health Savings Account before the age of 65 on nonqualified medical expenses will increase to 20%.
- A small business alternative to a cafeteria plan will be presented so that small businesses can offer tax free benefits without having to deal with the administrative costs of a cafeteria plan.
- Everyone earning more than $200,000 as an individual or $250,000 for those who file married filing jointly will have their Medicare payroll tax increased from the current 1.45% to 2.35%.
Health Care Bill: Changes Happening in 2013
- A $2,500 annual cap will be placed on all contributions to flexible spending accounts (amount indexed for inflation each subsequent year).
- The current tax deduction that employers receive for subsidizing the prescription drug costs of their employees who are eligible for Medicare Part D will be done away with.
- A 2.9% excise tax on the sale of medical devices will be put into place. Certain common items like glasses, hearing aids, etc. are exempted from this tax.
- The hospital insurance tax will increase .09% for those who earn more than $200,000 ($250,000 for those married filing jointly).
- Additional requirements on health insurance companies to implement uniform standards for exchanging health care information, electronic communication, and other measures to reduce insurance company administrative costs.
- The minimum threshold for being able to claim an itemized deduction for health care expenses increased from 7.5% to 10% of AGI although those over the age of 65 can stay at the 7.5% threshold through 2016.
Health Care Reform: Changes Happening in 2014
- All US citizens will be forced to have health insurance coverage considered acceptable by the US Government or else pay a fine of $95 in 2014, $325 in 2015, $695 in 2016 (capped at 2.5% of AGI). All of the fines are per person per year except for families have a cap on the total fine of $2,250 and the fine amount for children is half of the adult fine.
- Eligibility standards are implemented for newly formed health care exchanges.
- Businesses with 50 or more employees will face a fine of either $2,000 or $3,000 per employee for not offering health insurance coverage.
- Group health insurance plans have a maximum waiting period of 90 days.
- Health insurance companies are prohibited from using an individual’s health status to issue a policy or renew a policy. All pre-existing conditions must be covered and higher health insurance rates cannot be levied because of health, gender, etc.
- The eligibility standards for Medicaid will be changed to 133% of poverty for those who are not considered elderly.
- New annual fees will be levied on all health insurance providers based on an insurance companies market share and whose total premiums exceed $25 million.
Health Care Reform Bill: Changes Happening in 2018
The “Cadillac” health insurance plan tax will kick in. An excise tax will be levied on all employer provided health insurance plans costing more than $27,500 for families and $10,200 for individuals (with increased limits for those considered to be in “high risk” professions).
Thoughts?
What do you think about Obama’s health care reform? Is it good for you? Good for the country?
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I am not excited with this bill, the negatives far outweigh the positives in my opinion. This bill is about the government taking more control of our lives. It forces people to have insurance, even the ones who don’t want it (like some college students). It takes away our freedom to choose! This bill will lead to higher premiums for many, health care rationing, waiting periods to see specialists or for surgery, and costs going through the roof.
They talk about how it is going to reduce the deficit, but they ignore so many of the costs that weren’t specifically included in the bill, but that will need to happen anyway.
I do believe there need to be changes to health care to make it more affordable, including being able to buy coverage across state lines, insurance pools for high risk people (who might not otherwise be able to find coverage) and making health care more affordable via tort reform and other cost cutting measures.
I don’t like this bill, however, and55% of people in the US agree with me -and want it repealed – as released in a Rasmussen poll today. For many people this bill will mean they’re going to pay more in premiums than they were previously because of the mandated coverage levels – even for things that you don’t need – or agree with (like abortion – which I think Obama will most likely repeal his executive order for)
I just wanted to say, I am in college and I’ve enrolled at two different colleges in two different states and they already force you to have health insurance before entering. I’ve also worked in the health care industry and I’ve seen health care rationing before this bill was ever enacted. I also know that my dad has a number of pre-existing conditions that, if he were to lose his job, leave him without insurance. And about your waiting period theory, there are many things I have to say about that. First of all, I don’t know of many people who want to go through surgery for the fun of it. I don’t see myself or really anyone wanting to undergo unnecessary procedures. The increase would be coming from those who previously did not have the resources to pay for the procedures that they need, people like my father who has a messed up heart valve and needs it replaced but we can’t afford the 100,000+ to pay for it. So its a tad bit selfish to say that you’re upset you have to wait a little bit longer to receive the same treatment as someone else who also needs it, mainly because you have slightly more money to afford the treatment. Specialists would love your business, I don’t know how many phone calls I had to make at work trying to get people to visit the doctor. It is still a business and they still need to make money. People still need eye doctors, dentists, endocrinologists, and visits with other specialists. With the increase in visits, they can afford to lower the cost of a visit because they have a steady flow of patients coming through (sort of like buying in bulk). As for things that are unnecessary or defy your moral beliefs, unnecessary should be things that have absolutely no beneficial affect on physical & mental effects, and I agree there, however, with the moral beliefs I have to disagree. I believe abortion is wrong but I do not believe that the government should decide if a woman can or cannot go through with it because she unable to have the monetary resources to do so. It’s like a Jehovah’s Witness saying that blood transfusions should not be covered because it goes against their morals.
Wow, thanks for the summary – this bill is worse than I thought . . .
Great to hear a Christian with a level head present the information.
Good overview of the bill.
America has the greatest health care system in the world by many measures. Capitalism and a free market made it that way.
One of the main reasons health care is expensive out-of-control lawsuits against Doctors (high malpractice insurance, which is passed onto the patients). The bill did not do anything substantial to address this.
Insurance costs are high because medical costs are high & because of the regulation on the interstate sale of insurance. The bill did not do anything to address this.
Since free markets made our health care one of the best, why turn to more regulation when there are some problems? Why not turn to a freer market and see what happens?
Why not encourage people to help out their neighbor that needs medical care and can’t afford insurance instead of accomplishing this through taxation?
We need community, love, a free market and less regulation.
Why didn’t I think of having your neighbor help with your medical care!!
Thats gonna work as well as the trickle down effect worked!!!
Simple quiz:
What will a private insurer do when confronted with the following rules:
1) Accept everyone regardless of pre-existing conditions or health.
2) Cannot charge more based on health, pre-existing conditions, etc.
Why, raise rates, of course!
The plan itself is going to cost the government (read: taxpayers) a fortune, but it is also going to cost everyone who has insurance another fortune to keep their coverage. Once people start screaming about the rate increases, you’ll see the “public option” pop out again as the savior, which is, of course, all part of the long-term plan.
In any case, be prepared for large premium increases over the next 4-5 years.
So the Democrats are doing to us what they promised during the campaign. If only the Republicans would have done the same thing when they were in control…
I am looking forward to the up coming elections. But the Republicans have a lot to prove to me before they ever get my vote again!!!!
God save our Republic!
Amen, I am with you on this. Obama is amazing, doing a great job.
I agree that the upcoming Republicans need to prove a lot and bring some new ideas to Washington. I however find it hard to find the “great job” that President Obama is doing. Sure he is trying (this bill being one attempt) but the results aren’t there. I don’t think another 4 years of the same is what is best for this country (of course that is only my opinion). If he can get some results in the coming months, maybe my view will change.
Obama is only amazing if you are on welfare… If you work like I do, try to afford gas to get back and forth… You must be drinking the same kool-aid as all the other idiots that voted for him..
it’s bad news for everyone. Higher taxes. bigger government.
http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=131578
I agree with you Peter. It’s not good. The majority of America I think did not want this. But that won’t stop the democrats. they do as they please.
My doctor is from Canada. There is a reason why Canadians come here for our health care… the one they have in Canada stinks. Rationing, long wait times, Government decides what procedure you can/can’t get (what they will or will not pay for). Now we are going to get their system in the USA. thanks to Obama. This will hurt businesses and the economy even more and cost us more tax money. Like we don’t pay enough already.
If you don’t sign up on the governments plan, you pay BIG fines. Sounds like socialism to me. What happened to freedom of choice?
I agree with all comments above. While this bill patches some things, it’s simply just the beginning of the end for private insurers. We’ll all be on uncle sam’s insurance in a few years.
And I hate to be so negative, but the flood gates have opened. There’s no turning back entitlements.
I hear all of these complaints which I understand why you are not happy with the Health Care Reform. It was signed into law on March 23, 2010 and I realize there are still differences and those need to be worked out and I know no one wants this but tell me what can we all do about it and most say vote republican – can they stop or do anything about these changes?
It looks like there are some significant loopholes being closed by this legislation. It’s not perfect, but it seems to be a step in the correct direction.
The is much in the law I like and some things I dislike. My disappointment is that the Republicans and some Democrats played the obstructionist game for political reasons. Had they and some key democrats been willing to negotiate honestly we the people could have gotten a better bill. As it is some things will have to be readdressed down the road a couple of years.
Like a poor marksman, Obama just keeps missing the target with his out-of-whack priorities. Rather than concentrate on jobs, he puts the cart before the horse, spending trillions in health care with no means to pay for it, rather than get the job market going first. The estimates of what the Health Care Lie is going to cost insults my intelligence. The actual costs will be about four times the estimates, since government cannot operate without massive cost overruns. By the way…if you think you’ve seen the worst, think again. Wait until we get Obama’s so-called “climate change bill” shoved down our throats in the same way.
I find it amusing so many people here refute the comprehensive evidence that people in this country want this type of health reform.
As far as Peter’s comment about there being people who don’t want insurance (including college students) – I cannot think of a more incompetent statement. It’s simply not true. In addition, if Peter had read the points of the bill, those same college students will now be allowed to participate in their parents’ insurance plans to the age of 26.
Obama care touts that employers can’t deny you employment due to a prior medical conditions. This is the same scam like they can’t not hire you because of your age.
These are reason why a company don,t hire people. But here is the trick, companys don’t give reasons why they refuse to hire you, At best you will get a we hired somebody else. If you fired it will be for performance issues. Obama is a nasty piece of work. Obama care will make it easier for companys to look in your medical history where they can weed you out quit.
To Obama credit, Mitt Romney is even worst then him. How unfortunate for america.
America’s health care system is rated 34th in the world, behind even such countries as Cuba. The health care costs and mortality rate are a disgrace for this great nation.
Anyone who against solving the problem of insurance companies dropping the ill and injured or preventing children from getting insurance because of preexisting conditions is someone who really doesn’t care about others.
If this is Health Care bill is socialized medicine, what is Medicare? Perhaps those against the bill want to get rid of Medicare too.
I see all these people giving a sweeping general comment that they don’t like the law. I’d like to hear specifically which part of the law do they not like, and why? You never hear that, since when you get to specifics, it actually looks pretty good. When they can’t find a specific item they don’t like, they just say something like — it will cost too much. But they didn’t seem to mind President Busch started the hyper expensive Iraq war without paying for it. Or the Prescription Drug plan. Which specific parts of this would you repeal. And don’t say ALL OF IT. That would just confirm my suspicion that you don’t think critically.
The mandate! That is what I object to. Because I am an American I am being forced to by a product that I may not want to buy. Next is the government going to force me to get a gym membership ? Or maybe buy certain foods? Where will this insane need to take control over our lives stop? The majority of Americans want this law repealed and I agree with them. This was forced on us when the polls clearly showed only 32% of Americans wanted this. Obama and his Democratic Congress pretty much said screw what the people want. We will force it through and they did with coercion, Bribery and intimidation. That is reason enough for me to NEVER vote for another democrat as long as I live!
I honestly don’t understand why people believe that by being forced to have health insurance, they will be forced to have a gym membership or to buy certain foods in the future. Those are fallacies – ridiculous assumptions which have nothing to do with the other. Being fit or athletic has nothing to do with ensuring medical care for appendicitis, cancer, pneumonia, or spinal injuries (to name very few). The gym isn’t preventative medical care.
I don’t necessarily love the idea of being fined for not having health insurance. However I also don’t believe that this bill will lead to outrageous measures, such as the government forcing all of us to own a dog because evidence shows that those who own one live longer.
Could you be a bit more realistic, such as stating your personal opinion that perhaps you just don’t want to pay for health insurance – instead of making outrageous claims?
You are forced to buy car insurance!! Are you going to yell about that? This is a bill the Americans need. We all must be responsible.
Ronda it’s not about being responsible, it’s about being able to AFFORD health insurance. Not everyone perhaps is a rich as you. They then fine you for not having it putting you even deeper in the poor house to pay off the stupid fine!. I don’t know a single person that doesn’t want health insurance, hell we all want it! It’s
the case of AFFORDABILITY!
AMEN…If you don’t have the money now what?
It’s about time we had health care coverage for everyone – LONG overdue. This bill may not be perfect but thanks to the dems it has finally passed!
What about rate caps ?? Insurance companies will just raise their rates until the public cannot afford the premiums anymore. This is standard practice among insurance companies. I use to see a 15-25% increase yearly when I had to pay for my own health insurance.
Bob,
There is a small loop-hole in the bill which makes one of your statements about what happens in 2010 incorrect.
Although Barack claimed that children with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage – that actually is not in the bill until 2014.
If you study it close enough, you will see the loop-hole the insurance carriers are jumping through.
Now, it may be that the DHHS helps to plug the loop-hole, but it will take another act of Congress to pass the change…which could take months.
Take care,
Blake
The Health Insurance Specialist
Obama said he wouldn’t raise taxes on the middle class, but by decreasing the limits on the flex spending accounts in 2013, he is raising my taxes, and millions of others’ taxes who contribute more than $2,500 to those accounts. But in no way will this bill reduce my taxes or lower my health insurance costs.
What a liar.
I am not sure why college students should not be required to have insurance even though the average college student age bracket is at higher risk for accidents. Also, I would much rather SPEND and INVEST in the future of healthcare best practices, than continue to deny the right to healthcare for all people, while large corporations get bailed out by our tax payer money. You have to be completely misinformed to think our freedom of choice will be jeopardized by the following measures:
1) Insurance companies can no longer cut someone when he or she gets sick.
2) Insurers must now reveal how much money is spent on overhead.
3) Small businesses will get tax credits covering up to 50% of employee premiums.
4) New screening procedures will be implemented to help eliminate health insurance fraud and waste.
I wish people would just try to learn, you are right!
Well, this is really it? I don’t like the added taxes and especially the fee for NOT having insurance. However, I have to say from what I have heard from commentators, I expected the end of our country…. I don’t believe in slippery slope arguments – something the sleezy politician employ with gusto to scare the uninformed population into seeing things their way.
So, until Marx will be resurrected, habeaus corpus suspended, Sturmtroopers walking the street and Obama declared King – I’ll dare to leave my house again
Thank goodness. It’s about time!
I think the amount of negativity associated with this bill is ridiculous. The bill is designed to leave good things as they are, and to help people who can’t afford health care. If you’re writing as someone who has health care because it’s provided by your employer, then you really don’t even deserve a voice in this. I am graduating from college this year, married (so I don’t fall under my parents’ plan), and pay over $100 a month for a plan that literally covers almost nothing. The individual insurance sector is JUNK, and it’s because there isn’t enough regulation for these “non-profit” insurance companies. And if I hear another one of us Christians talk about how we should help our neighbors, I’m going to choke, because we can talk all we want, but we don’t help. Besides that, we seem to be largely unaware of how much need is really out there. I am a Christian who is SICK of Christians, because most of us have forgotten the important things that CHRIST actually said, and instead are focused on the lies that conservative talk-a-holics who sometimes quote scripture are ramming down our throats. Christians need to wake up, educate ourselves, and make our own decisions. God gave us brains for a reason.
Amen SISta !So true!
While I agree with the previous commentors about many of the negatives in this bill, and in fact will most likely end up paying higher insurance rates myself, I think it’s worth it to make sure the most needy get the care they need. Our current health care system is fantastic–for those of us who are relatively healthy and make a reasonable amount of money. For those who make less money, suffer an accident, or suffer a chronic illness, it is a nightmare. Personally, I see government “interference” in health care as similar to government “interference” with police, fire, roads, and emergency medicine. Many of us would not choose to pay for these things, but it’s all of us paying a little that makes it possible for any of us to reap the benefits.
You forgot to post that insurance companies will now be required to spend 85% of their revenue paying out claims – and if they do not meet that requirement, they will need to give rebates to their paying customers. Under our current system, we are not getting what we pay for. Doctors have to balance good care with what the insurance will pay, and patients are having to fight their insurance company on every claim. I’m a healthy American who has a family and a husband who has a good job which pays our bills. Insurance companies have been raking in more than a reasonable profit for years while Americans are dying from lack of medical care or going bankrupt from denied claims. I for one, am very glad for this reform. This bill is supported by many – those of us who voted for Obama were praying for this kind of reform. Please keep in mind that the polls don’t include those who have been laid off and have lost their homes. There are a lot of Americans that need this relief right now. Not to mention that healthcare for all means healthier communities for all of us… More prevention and treatment for illness and diseases means less illness and disease being spread around on our grocery carts and play structures. This is going to make a huge difference in the quality of life for poor families – and a victory for the poor is a victory for Christians in my opinion.
God bless you and God bless America. Obama is awesome.
The same complaints and worries were espoused over Social Security and Medicare. Universal health care should be a right for all Americans. Obama IS awesome.
I have never heard anyone, Canadian or otherwise, move here for the health insurance.
I think in America, we have always strived to equal the playing field for our citizens. Equality is a commonly used word as part of the description of our U.S. democracy. The new Health Care Reform is the completion of the trifecta with Social Security and Medicare. All religions call on us to take care of one another, as God would. Now it’s not just “talk” in our country and I am a proud citizen to live here where “the least of us” is finally served, where good triumphs over greed.
What will happen to premiums? My 1 mil lifetime will go to unlimited, will that be free?
Most articles on TV and web are fluff, they do not look at the details. I listed to NPR on the way to work and they are just a big promotion for this bill.
It will be great for the uninsured, but what about us that already have insurance?
Bob,
There is more to the health care plan (Train Wreck) than you state. What you said took a grand total of 28 bullets. What is in the other 2000 odd number of pages?????
What you are doing is looking through rose colered classes and trying to minimizing the damage that this bill will be doing to the American people.
Not true!
There are some good insurance features described in the article. It does nothing to discuss the cost of the plan and it is impossible to tell if this is good for the country without factoring in the long term effect on the economy. Why not provide Cadillac plans for everyone? It is a benefit/cost debate. And it is a question of whether or not we can afford it.
Everything I read about this bill say’s it is going to raise costs for everyone. I do not understand how you can charge someone a higher percentage of their income just because they make more. If they are going to subsidize a percentage of the people, that is just wrong. It is not the Governments job to redistribute the wealth, it is their job to make sure that everyone has the same opportunities, rights and protection.
The best thing about the new bill is that people will almost HAVE to take better caare of themselves as a result, which, longterm, will cost taxpayers less state-to-state. Also, the since everyone has to be insured this has got to be a boost to the economy. Health insurance has always been sky-high to me…this is, hopefully a way to put a cap on these extreme prices. We need to just stop complaining until we see that the negatives” are really out-weighing the “positives”.
In fairy tales this is great but in reality you cannot increase the costs to the carriers, penalize the small business owners, subsidize the middle class and provide incentives for our citizens to wait for our big brother government to solve our problems. When the costs of this escalates to 2.5 trillion dollars and increase our country’s deficit it will bancrupt the country and then it will be game over.
Your article does not touch on one HUGE factor: How this bill will be PAID for. Your article mostly shows the “good” factors of the bill–insurers can’t deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, etc. From what I have repeatedly read, this bill calls for future Congresses to come up with additional funding for the bill in the years ahead (e.g., pass vote to approve ADDITIONAL TAXES in the years ahead). This funding (taxes) is currently not written into the bill, but assumes that Congress will raise funding over the next 10 years or so. This is why Paul Ryan and other Republicans say that this bill is filled with funding gimmicks and smoke and mirrors.
Well, we are already force to pay an insurance if we want to drive a car so the idea of freedom to choose I don’t think it really works as an argument against the health care reform.
People complain Oh! I don’t want this! This reform is horrible! till one day they learn they got cancer or any other serious illness and realize their insurance company does not want to pay their expensive treatment because the insurance company has a trillion of ways to trick the law, make people pay lots for their insurance and later deny to their customers anything that is not convenient for this company.
The health care system in this country is trash, I’m happy that at least Obama is trying to end this abuse by the health care insurance companies and he is trying to fix this broken system.
There are about 2 good things in here from my perspective 1) pre-existing conditions and 2) letting children stay on parents plan until age 26.
The really bad part is the significant tax increases for those making over 200K (250K joint). So study hard to gain job skills, work hard to keep that job and salary and your reward…. pay a higher tax rate. Oh and don’t forget a company that provides a strong insurance plan (aka Cadillac plan) now… you are rewarded with a excise tax.
One question for anyone honestly considering both sides of the Health care debate (and it will cont to be debated as lawsuits and broken promises pop up) Question: How many Gov programs, agencies, etc, are as effective, efficient, streamlined, cost effective as their counter parts in the free market?
There aren’t any.
The US Postal Service is one of the closest and has run for nearly 200 years, it is still losing to FedEx and UPS. The only expections are The Military and Police which can’t really have a private substitute.
So then the question is if the Federal Gov (and state Gov for that matter) aren’t as good at any business as private institutions (think of getting tabs or your drivers lic or working with a county on Environmental issues) Then the real question is why does the Gov need to take over Health care? Is it really about Providing Health Care or is it something else entirely?
Good plan ,not great-single payer would be better. I live near the Canadian border (upstate NY) and know of not a SINGLE Canadian that has ever come here for healthcare. America does NOT have the best health care ranking – # 37 if I recall correctly while spending 17% GDP compared to 11% for most industrialized nations. We are already paying for most uninsured who visit emergency rooms via our taxes (I pay medical expenses out of pocket). I have a pre-existing condition and could not buy coverage for less than $1000 a month. Malpractice accounts for less than 3% of healthcare costs, while insurance companies pull 30% of premiums for bonuses and executive perks. Good riddance to private insurers-health care is a right like education, not a privilege. Free markets have done a wonderful job-look at Wall st.
This has made my blood boil! The House of Reps, did not listen to the people, nor did our President (of which I didn’t vote for him, we knew it was going to be trouble) – people wanted change, well here it is, I hope those people are happy. They don’t know what this entails until they see their money going to all the taxes that will have to pay for this and of ocurse no one is talking about that part. This country was made on being free and having choices. When I read we wil be FORCED to buy insurance, unbelieveable, that is not a free country anymore. We can’t make people buy car insurance, let alone force them buy health insurance. the long lines at the DMV will be the lines you see getting medical treatment! I can see now! And the tax they are putting on the healthcare devices! Our pace makers that keep people alive will be more costly, and now the government is going to say yay or nay for a person to receive one? I could go on and on. This is not good for our country or the future of our children. .
What a fiasco!! Why did they add two plus billion dollars for black colleges onto this bill??? My son is a doctor (Orthopedic surgeon) and he said “I’m going to vote with my feet”. He has applied for residency in Australia.
Good for the doctor/son. Austrialia, like every other major economy in the world, has univeral health care (created by a government single payer system. He might do more good though by fighting for a similar health care system here.
Electronic healthcare records requirement increases the risk of identity fraud and jeopardizes your privacy. Now any government official can view your health records. Nice going dumb dems. Wake up and see the big picture. our freedoms and privacy are gone. God bless your new socialist union. Real Americans stand and be free from tyranny . Do not trust your federal government anymore if you ever did. Revolt now. Gun registration will be next and then forget it, just throw the constitution away.
I do agree with the comments but do you realize with the republicans they are also saying that WE are paying for commercials that say WE can’t afford this health bill. who pays for that health bill? Us! who pays for the commercials that say we can’t afford the health care bill? US! not ur brightest idea is it republicans??
Too bad the public option was ruled out. That was a great way to control costs. You’d think all the Republican numbers crunchers would have suggested including that. If they had been interested in seeing anything proposed by Obama succeed, that is. They were, it wasn’t now everybody pays for their tantrums. Oh, I forgot, it is ObamaCare so it will be Obama’s Fault.
I think its clear that the majority of this bill does a nice job protecting the middle &^ lower classes.
I cant see why some think that this is similar to the canadian system. the bill still keeps private insurance companies in charge. As long as one’s doctor recommends something and the private insuarnce company agrees to pay for it, it will be paid for. Different than the single payer systems that most of the rest of the world utilizes.
I think prohibiting insurance compnaies from excluding based on pre-existing conditions will help those with pre-existing conditions.
And, I think that the tax credit for small business will help the little guys compete against the mega corporations… To be honest, I wish there were more “mom & pop” shops, Im a little burned on the whole walmart thing.
now as far as requiring everyone to purchase insurance… i dont know if that is going to hold up… it may be an overextension of federal powers. outside of that issue, i dont have a problem with the policy. Its very similar to required liabilty insurace for your car, if you consider the general cost that we all indirectly pay for the uninsured, who over-use and abuse emergency room treatment because they dont plan on paying for it anyway.
overall, i woult recon its a positive move.
To join the discussion on what matters now … NULLIFICATION … follow this link: http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/legislation/federal-health-care-nullification-act/
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
[For a light hearted take on our present peril]
I dont like the idea of forcing insurance on people with financial penalties.
If so many people that have lost there jobs also lost their homes, how can they afford to purchase health insurance. I am sick of the government taking away from the retirees. These people worked most of their lives and paid into medicare but it is always given to welfare to people I know, that never worked a day in their life. He is going to be another Carter, that is why social security is in the shape it is in today. Grandholm is another joke! I can’t believe people voted her in, and the 2nd time at that.
My initial response is…expanded welfare. I hope it ends up being more. Government is big enough as it is. And our deficit….don’t get me into that!
What this bill doesnt cover is all the illegals going to hospitals that CAN’t reject them coverage…. thats the major cost…. to our health care…
If this bill was soo good, why isn’t the senate and the house and the oh great one huimself covered by it….
Thats the question you need to ask…
You might want to fact check your artocle; the adults under 26 and pre-existing condition provisions do NOT start immediately.
The entire bill is filled with things that people will not be happy about.
One other thing….
Think what this does for big and small businesses… that can’t afford coverage…
It’s going to make offshoring your employees look pretty attrative… non-american no need to cover… This may be the push the dem’s are looking for… NAFTA was one baby step…
Although change is always very difficult to cope with, and many minds don’t always think alike it is safe to assume that this will be an undying subject for years to come. I strongly agree with the presidents’ intention to take care of all citizens and provide them a sense of wellbeing. Growing up in a home where my mother worked two jobs to try and support a sick husband and 3 children only to suffer the inevitable faith of bankruptcy because of extreme medical bills and insufficient income. The lack of coverage from the mediocre health insurance policies did nothing to ease the blows from the debt collectors as they state that you are only covered for 40%. It brought tears to my eyes to see how many other Americans suffer through this pain and live day by day hoping that they won’t get sick for fear of losing whatever they have left.
I respect everyone’s opinion to state what they believe in, but truly feel that views are always different when you have lived it. An argument can always be made for the positives and the negatives but to just turn our backs and say that our Health care is fine the way it is, just isn’t a choice anymore. Health insurance companies are going to start to compete for business for a change. WOW I actually have a choice even though I have a pre existing condition. I know it won’t happen tomorrow but how many years have I already suffered this pain.
While I appreciate the breakdown by year, you made some significant omissions in this article. So to clarify:
1) the penalty against businesses with 50 or more employees of $2000 exempts the application of that penalty against the first 30 employees. For example, a business with 50 employees that doesn’t want to provide coverage is only penalized for 20 employees.
2) low income individuals and families who make less than 133% of the Federal Poverty Limit will not be penalized for not having coverage through a hardship exemption. In fact, as you pointed out, many of these families/individuals will be newly eligible for Medicaid since financial eligibility requirements will be expanded.
3) Middle and low income families and individuals making above 133% FPL but less than 400% FPL ($88,200 for a family of four) will receive $460 billion in subsidies so that insurance is more affordable.
Furthermore you neglected mentioning a lot of the real potential cost-saving drivers such as funding “comparative effectiveness research”, and streamlining the process for the implementation of demonstration and pilot programs aimed at lowering costs. It also includes the CLASS Act which is a voluntary long term care insurance program which can have huge benefits in keeping disabled and elderly individuals from having to spend down to Medicaid, thus keeping them independent and living in the community (e.g. out of a nursing home).
Lastly, John, sorry but malpractice insurance rates are not a significant driver of overall medical costs. They have become a significant cost for doctors, but CBO estimates of the effect of the Republican proposed tort reform project savings of only 0.5%. No serious health economist considers medical malpractice even one of the top cost drivers.
Our healthcare costs are more than double as a percent of GDP than every other developed country in the world…yet we rank 38th in quality of care.
Just like everything in America..we have the best..and we have the worst… Anything is an improvement over what had been in place…anything. On a global scale the US has been a disgrace in caring for it’s own. The bipartisan CBO says this bill will save us $148 Billion over the next ten years.. sounds good to me.
I’m not thrilled with much of this bill..but am please to see many items finally addressed. I wish the Republicans at least contributed something to the legislation rather than ONLY focus on tearing it down. Ross Perot said “It takes strength and commitment to build a barn.. any fool can come along and burn it down” . What did the Republicans do the past EIGHT years to address this huge problem..? Hmm.. Zeroooo
It is funny to read the partisan comments on the bill. If you read what the bill will do and understand it makes insurance available to 40 million that don’t have it and another 60 million who have limited insurance, you could not possibly have a negative view. If you look at the fact that all developed countries have health care and that it costs less by half or two thirds to provide this per capita in those countries. If you understand that America is the richest country in the world and if it can’t afford it but everyone else can – well that says it all. You just don’t want to support your own people on life basics. And to clarify, you did not have the best system in the world unless you think the world ends at the US border.
A permanent home in Belize is looking better every day! I wish there was some way to over turn this bill – it is bad new for our GREAT country!!
There’s plenty of money in this banana republic for its murderous imperial wars; enough money to bail out Wall Street criminals who bankrupted the world through their chicanery; but no money for schools, parks, libraries, or health care. “Entitlements” are monies given to institutions that are not part of the military-industrial complex or Wall Street.
The Obama Health Reform Plan is criminal. It will enrich the parasitic insurance and pharmaceutical companies while doing little to protect the
citizens of the Empire.
Gore Vidal is right. We have one political party with two right wings.
We better learn to take care of one another.
Its a heck of a lot better than what we had. Its a new beginning — we had to start somewhere and as time goes on the new bill will be amended to make it better for all people. With all the vicious Republican attacks against it, it is a miricle that the Democrats could get this much going..
Does anyone know what the recently passed healthcare bill means for companies whom are self-insured and whose health insurance plans they offer to employees are administered by a private insuror, like Blue Cross Anthem. Of particular interest is the healthcare’s provision extending coverage for dependants thru the age of 26? If my compnay is self insured as above, then is my employer obligated to comply with this provision???
I think there are hidden dangers in the parts of this bill that will allow various bureaucrats to set standards and requirements, as well as set up the procedures to implement the law.
I am concerned about what sort of undefined changes that will be done to Medicare in the name of dealing with “waste”. The President vows that no changes will occur to Tricareforlife( a part of healthcare f or retired military), BUT changes to medicare affect Tricareforlife and this will affect all retired Military 65 and over.
Commenting in response to Arthur:
The summary above does not state that you must sign up on the government’s plan, it says:
“All US citizens will be forced to have health insurance coverage considered acceptable by the US Government or else pay a fine of $95 in 2014, $325 in 2015, $695 in 2016 (capped at 2.5% of AGI).”
The purpose of that is to remove shoddy pseudo-insurance plans such as those door-to-door ones popular in the South. Not to force people to purchase the government’s plan, but to make sure people purchase a plan that will actually care for them.
I keep hearing all these comments on how it forces you to get insurance. Why do you think it costs so much now? Because so many don’t have it and the majority who do have it, use it. Most people don’t think about health insurance until they have children or get old enough to start having lots of health problems. I know that I rarely worried about having insurance until the last 10 years. Why? Because in the last 10 years, I’ve had more small issues to deal with. When it got to the point that I’m going to the ER to deal with a simple sinus infection because I don’t have a regular doctor because I don’t have health insurance, there’s a problem. What I could have dealt with for a simple co-pay and prescription ended up costing me $2k for the ER visit.
Medical costs aren’t high because they’re high. They’re high because everyone is out to make HUGE profits. It’s not enough anymore to post a small 2% profit, they want to see profits over 10% and even higher. It’s simple greed, folks. That’s why the lawsuits, that’s why the skyhigh profits.
Republicans like to say it’s going to fail and have spread some really vicious lies about this plan. Anyone remember death squads? They’ve all decided this was going to fail and so they wouldn’t even give it a chance. They’re still saying that. Too bad because they didn’t even vote yes on things they themselves proposed for it.
If everyone shares the cost by having insurance, the overall costs remain lower. It’s a good theory and I’m going to give it a chance before criticizing it.
The coverage that is given is what has been needed to provide a basic health safety net in this country for a very long time. We did not become the 37th in the industrialized world for no reason. When families had to make the hard decision of medical maintenance care (or something else like food on the table, rent, etc), it unfairly put the burden on the lives of those at risk within their family (the children) and put the burden on the tax payer when their problems became emergencies. Did anyone notice when Brown was elected to Kennedy’s seat that the HMO stocks shot up and the Hospital stocks shot down. The tax payer has been paying for this hidden cost at the emergency room for a very long time. The business community has been the most vocal opponent of this reform, yet they are the ones who stand to gain as much as the public. A healthy work force is a productive work force. Unless as a business person you are pre-disposed that a stressed employee is a productive employee, you have to agree with this principle. The whole idea of a family friendly work place has been sacrificed by that other business model. Profits before people is what has put us where we are in the US. Businesses have closed their doors in the US, off shoring labor, so that they can become more profitable. It has been the endless spiral of weakening of labor and the earning power of the US worker, that has lead us to the “Walmart-ization” of America. We appear to be in a perpetual search for lower prices because our workforce continues to be drained of it’s earning potential and thereby its purchasing power. It is an endless spiral (like other so called drains on our economy) that has to end, before the US can ever hope to recover its standing in the world economy. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. Healthcare is to jobs as jobs is to spending. The investment class cannot possibly think that the continual exploitation of the American worker and it’s diminished ability to spend will sustain their lifestyles forever. At some point the peasants will break out the pitch forks (I don’t think is need to paint the whole picture).
It is not a perfect plan but it is going to the right direction. Someone should stop the insurance companies to empty people,s walets.
I’m not Christian, but I sure appreciated the information!
It’s good to see a more balanced and factual article that outlines the changes in the coming years without a bunch of emotional rhetoric.
I disagree with those who say this restricts our right to choose. I used to be skeptical about the mandate that will kick in, but as I thought about it more, I changed my thinking. If Peter above doesn’t want health insurance (young, not sick, doesn’t want to pay for it, will take the chance), if he stepped out into the street and got hit by a bus, and was terribly hurt, we’d take him to the hospital and care for him (AS WE SHOULD, being a caring, compassionate nation – that shouldn’t change), but the cost would still be indirectly borne by the rest of us (as it is now) who were responsible enough to get insurance. That isn’t fair. Or maybe his family would bankrupt themselves paying to get him better, as 50% of bankruptcies and foreclosures are rooted in out-of-control medical expenses. That would be bad too.
To Peter’s comment about how to fix it – I think it’s a bit more complicated that the two issues he mentioned……insurance pools for high risk people – that’s in the bill anyway – and as for tort reform, studies show that lawsuits are only 2% of the costs anway. One comment though, lawsuits seem to affect doctor’s “behavior” (maybe unneeded tests), out of fear of them, that drives healthcare costs up now, so I would concede that point. However, it is interesting that Republicans are fine with legislation (tort reform) that flows over into the courts, and aren’t hollering about the Constitution and how it would step on about separation of powers, but whatever…. I guess you cherry pick what you want about the Constitution when it suits you.
True, with this bill, costs may end up going up over time, should the CBO projections prove inaccurate, as they were based on some big “IF’s”. But ……news flash – THEY WERE GOING UP ANYWAY!! Haven’t you all read about the 35% + premium increases from Anthem in the past few months? And still people aren’t covered. We’re the richest nation in the world, with the stupidest health care system, with regards to how much it costs us, regardless of how good the quality is. So the question is how do we make access to it better, while retaining its quality??
As far as saying “we need reform”, but “let’s get rid of this bad bill and start over”, sounds like more of a delaying tactic to me. With the exception of cross-state insurance and tort reform, most of what’s in the bill that is helping people, the Republicans say they are for. So what good is starting over? I don’t believe them anymore. If they care so much, why didn’t they DO ANYTHING when they were in charge for 6 years in the Bush Administration? It’s not like our health care system didn’t need reform then. This has been around and growing worse for years. As for the Democrats in the last 2 years, they didn’t do anything either, but Bush would likely have vetoed anything they proposed anyway.
And as far the big “government takeover” and “socialism” argument……. pulllleeeesse. I for one don’t care to have a completely capitalistic society, based ONLY on the free market because in reality it has its shotcomings and downfalls too. The rich get richer, and the middle-class get poorer. Look what just happened with the economy when unfettered capitalism was allowed to run wild. And likewise I certainly wouldn’t want to live in a socialist country either (although I don’t have any experience of what it would be like, but it doesn’t sound too great).
I think a balance somewhere in the middle between a strong free market, and some responsibilities shared for all citizens would work the best. The trick of it is balance it out. It’s always difficult to balance the “ME” and the “WE”.
We share the responsibility of educating our children (public schools) because we know an educated society is better than an ignorant one. We share some of the responsibilty of caring for elderly with a safety net because it’s the right thing to do and God willing, we’ll all make it to old age. We should share the responsiblity of health care because we know that a healthier society is better than one where a growing number were shut out, bankrupted and way stressed out because of costs. As my friend from Europe said, “It’s nuts over here. You don’t even have to think about healthcare back home, it’s such a non-issue because it’s automatic.”. If it works, who cares if it looks European? For sure, I’m not a big fan of a big, clumsy, beauracratic government, but on the other hand, smaller government doesn’t seem to be able to protect us from the profit-seeking corporations that have grown powerful beyond measure, where we’re not really people, but just a statistic on a balance sheet to a highly paid executive. So if government – regardless of size – doesn’t exist to help us, then what good is it?
I for one, don’t think costs will come under control until we take the “for profit” motive out completely. And for sure, this bill doesn’t do that, but it’s a start to help those of us who need it. We could never get to single-payer from where we are today, and based on some of the downsides of single-payer, it maybe isn’t the answer. The whole thing is complicated.
I don’t believe all of those hate-mongers who rant about President Obama and what a horrible person he is and how he hates us, blah, blah, blah……. And I don’t think they’re all racist either (maybe some, but not all). Maybe just more scared than anything, and frankly to a great degree, rather mis-informed, having their fears stoked by political pundits whose only motivation is higher ratings for their stations (again – profit…..).
I choose to believe that the President and the Democrats were actually trying to do something good, but having said that……on the other hand, no one really knows how this is going to play out over the long run.
Cheap health care is bad health care, period… Do you seriously think doctors will do as good as a job for being paid less?
America is still learning what rest of the world already know. It is sad that GOP is trying to stop what is working (and saving lives) everywhere else – for their own profit, ans it is even more sad that bunch of people blindly believe them…. I’m sure that time will prove even for those hardcore dummies that this is good think!
I will not be among those that feel, “I have good health care insurance; too bad about you.”
America, the greatest country, should be able assure its citizens that adequate medical care is available and it will not bankrupt them.
AW
At least it’s something. As the largest developed country in the world with no national healthcare coverage for the needy, something had to be done. Prevention is better than cure, and the ability to see the doctor earlier will hopefully cut down on healthcare costs. Would I have preferred a public option… yes. But having something in place to spur action is better than another 12 years of nothing but hot air. And as for polls saying X% of Americans agree with Y, until questions posed, groups used, and other baselines are published, numbers are useless. I can lie with statistics as well as any other, and get you whatever number you want.
I suppose there is good and bad in this bill. One thing for sure is it’s not simple and the people that wrote it probably don’t understand the consequences. Well, I’m not sure anyone understands. What bothers me the most is the process that generated it. The republicans are at fault because they didn’t do anything about health care when they had a chance and the democrats created a dinosaur. There were few centrists. It’s a winner take all attitude in Washington. Just because someone wins 52.5% of the vote doesn’t mean they can ignore 47.5% of the people, and that’s what I feel happened. Unfortunately the next time the republicans take over it’s going to be payback time. There is no wisdom.
The plan is bad and forcing people to pay for insurance. We need to address the issues causing the insurance delima. If we have full employment, employers will offer insurance as incentives. If we add taxes to imports to offset the social economic damages caused to society by imports and outsourcing then we can pass on the cost and make it more attractive to produce products here. We have to support our communities, until then, we will continue to have poverty and uninsured.
It’s good for the country, and Christian to the core. We are SUPPOSED to care for others, for the less fortunate, even at our own expense. It is our Christian duty. To do otherwise is decidedly un-Christian, at the very least.
A quick note: you’re can’t purchase “the government’s plan”. There is no plan run by the government. It’s still a privately owned and managed plan, and thus, a private company will be receiving the profit.
My thoughts…I think this could potentially be a good thing for the country, if it does make everyone’s cost lower by requiring (forcing, if you prefer) everyone to buy in, spreading out the risk among a larger group of people. If it does in fact lower costs by making preventative care more available and actually making us all healthier, that would be good. That could save us money as a country on things like disability or “welfare” benefits paid to people who can’t work for medical reasons, and on paying for high costs for care when currently uninsured people become ill, lose their income, and qualify for state or federal medical benefits.
For me, as a healthy 27-year old, it’s not necessarily good for me individually. I have a high deductible, limited coverage plan, and just budget to pay for regular health care out of pocket. With the new minimum requirements for plans, these low cost plans won’t be available anymore. In 2014 or whenever I’ll look again, but the cost of the fine might not be high enough to deter me from choosing to continue paying out of pocket.
@ Peter – why do you think Obama will repeal the ban on federal $ paying for abortions?
@ John – health care isn’t really a transparent free market right now. Since either insurance companies or Medicare/Medicaid negotiate most prices behind the scenes, and because this process is cumbersome and can’t respond quickly to changes on the ground, consumers are rarely directly involved in comparing the costs of different providers or different procedures. I have to specifically tell my providers that I’m paying myself, and ask when they order a test whether the cost is worth what they’ll find out from it.
My personal ideal solution, totally copped from an Atlantic article: require (and provide for the very low income, if necessary) a high deductible plan to cover expensive, catastrophic (car wreck, cancer) situations only. Also require, through a payroll deduction, a (possibly tax-free) health savings account – not one that goes into a pool like FICA, but is retained in individual ownership. Let everyone pay for their own everyday stuff and let providers compete to provide both the best care and the best prices. Watch as quality and price both improve (case in point: cheaper better laser eye surgery.)
Great, fair article, and I’m glad to have read it through the Christian Science Monitor, thanks for posting it!
And, I’m not surprised that the number of employed non-minority men are against the bill, because they have insurance and their families are covered, so who cares, right? About the millions who aren’t? Until they get laid off and realize that COBRA is nice and all, but too expensive to really take advantage of, and when they get re-employed, their spouse or kid with asthma or allergies or something worse won’t be covered by the new insurance. If they are lucky to be rehired as a full timer with benefits, that is, and maybe at less than the old salary. Then what?
Again, thanks for running through all the phases of the Health Care Reform bill, because once you actually read it, not just adopt a stance of a media show host, you will see that it may someday benefit you and your family, too. When your kid is 24 and has a skiing accident, guess what? He’s COVERED! When your Master’s degree daughter swerves and falls off her bike on campus to avoid a jerk pedestrian who ran out in front of her, she’s COVERED! Our country requires driver’s licenses and auto insurance to legally drive, having health coverage is no different.
WAY TO GO OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This bill is scary if for no other reason it is another intrusion by the government into private life. It adds yet another element of “you have to” control. The government should leave health care in the private sector and pass laws which increase competition and help control costs.
They should not be running anything as or like a business, there is no incentive to succeed. How efficient would any business be if people are forced to buy their products. Think about it.
I love this bill! I’m tired of paying for sick people going to the ER. I’m surprised the bad debt of 45-million uninsured people in this country hasn’t sunk our entire economy by now -instead of just putting a 15% drag on growth. I’m even surprised I still have a job with all the work that’s been shipped overseas because right here in the greatest country in the world we’ve got the most expensive crappy health insurance in the history of the cosmos. Plus, we’ve got a worse infant mortality rate than Cuba! And why is that? Because we spend billions keeping alive kids that are born as early as after just 20-weeks of gestation. And why is that? Because we’ve got a population of young marginal moms burdened with unaddressed pre-natal issues showing up in emergency rooms when they should have been showing up in class rooms. Rail all you want about where the money comes, from but if we can cut down on dead-beat patients who are already too sick to be cured cheaply, cut down on stupidity-sickness -like people who think dinner is something frozen you heat-up, cut down on corrupt incentives -like self-serving shareholders of publicly traded insurance companies who want all profits from stalling claims to go into their pockets, in other words if we stop spewing slogans and start thinking, well by God we might just become a rich nation again!
I haven’t been following the whole health care thing very much lately; I’ve been too busy keeping with classes and work. But finally seeing what has shaken out of the debate is scary and I have a feeling is going to have some very bad unforeseen consequences. Entitlement is going to run rampant; worse than it already is.
I’m picking up on a definite air of “screw the insurance companies” – a sort of “take that!” mentality. Yep.. there’s definitely good reason to feel that way. I’ve had to stop seeing my doctor for a condition not immediately life-threatening, and stop taking meds for said condition. The insurance company stopped paying for it. Eh, whatever, it’s a story like millions of others in this country. Since I haven’t seen anything mentioned about mental health care, I probably won’t be able to jump on the entitlement bandwagon. I’m not sure I would, anyway.
But this isn’t government-sponsored health care.. it’s still going to be private, with more government controls in place.
I think the end result will be more of the same, just hugely more expensive for people that can ill afford it.
I don’t remember seeing that any of our fine politicians who made this a reality are going to have to join in with us peasants in living that reality.
Be careful what you wish for.
I am pretty scared of this honestly. I’m 21, I barely make enough to make ends meet and if I can’t pay my health insurance premium this will be bad. My husband is 24 and he doesn’t have insurance. His hours have been cut and it’s just not affordable. I am thankful we both have jobs but, the cost of EVERTHING is going up except for our INCOME. I work at a bank and I see how many people come in each day living off the government. And those who have been living off the government for YEARS. It makes me sick especially when I see people who work hard for a living but receive less. It’s hard right now, I mean we don’t even have TV and we live in a one-room apartment, but guess what? We have no debt. Even so with this job market we can’t get anywhere! This health bill will probably cause even the jobs in health care to go. I don’t know, all those regulations, have got to lead to worse. Everything else run by the government has.
Well good for me, being a high-risk young adult, having been high-risk my entire life. But for the majority of the population, not to mention the economy, it seems to spell D-O-O-M. God help us all.
@GN – Don’t forget the huge increase in the number of persons buying insurance that will put downward pressure on premiums. Coupled with the mandated benefits, it’s hard to say what the net affect will be. Also, don’t forget about the competition the exchanges will bring. This suggests premiums could go down and not up. Time will tell.
John:
The US only has the best healthcare system if you’re rich. By most measures, the US healthcare system ranks somewhere around 25th in the world, behind nearly every other developed country.
It’s time we stop treating healthcare as a vehicle for profit and start treating it as a fundamental right the way we do safety and security. Few people would argue that we should privatize police departments or the military – why should healthcare be any different? What good is being kept safe from violence if you’ll be left to suffer and die from disease?
Republicans please don’t use NLP for malicious purposes. Enough is enough. Fox news is like a third class NLP horror movie. NLP was developed for people who wants to better their lives, not screwing it up by idiots like you. It’s so laughable the technics being used on untrained minds are horribly amateurish. Creating all sorts of negative hallucinations, anchors, pre-suppositions etc.. what is this? do you guys think you are the only ones who know this? Scare mongering, hypnotizing, brain washing and other related stuff shouldn’t be used on innocent people for any type of gain.
Nikki, I totally agree, but it makes too much sense for government to try something as simple as that. This is not about healthcare, it is about control.
Arthur writes “the one they have in Canada stinks. Rationing, long wait times, Government decides what procedure you can/can’t get (what they will or will not pay for). ”
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To imply this does not happen here is foolish. The only thing different is that in Canada the elected government does this and here the insurance companies do it.
People, try to remember that in Canada and most of Western Europe people live longer, healther lives (USA listed number 38th in the world)
For being the richest country in the world that is a pretty poor.
To John @ Wise Finish
I love how you keep insisting that America has the greatest health care system. I can’t speak for Canada, but here in Australia we laugh at your health care system. As a dual-Aussie-American citizen, this is one of the main reasons I’m staying right here, and I am quite happy paying AUD$80 per month for comprehensive private health care. I would have trouble getting any insurance in the USA
The new legislation represents in my opinion a classic American compromise solution that isn’t really about health care; it’s about insurance reform. This kind of solution may reduce the corporate greed factor but will never come close to providing the kind of health care system that citizens of the majority of democracies now enjoy. The American preoccupation with the notion of personal freedom above all else supports corporate profits. I don’t get the knee jerk response to protect corporations; they are not citizens. Wake up America.
It’s all about controlling people. In a 1961 speech Ronald Reagan said that the Socialists planned to “get their foot in the door” by starting up socialized medicine. Once they got the socialized medicine going, it would be easy from that point to get total power over the people and make us totally socialist.
A long time ago, there was also a man in the Socialist party of the United States that said basically there was no longer a need for the Socialist Party to exist on the ballots any more because the Democratic party had already pretty much taken the same platform and believed in the same things as they did and were trying to accomplish the same things. And that was like back in the thirties or so when that guy said that if I remember correctly. I wish I could remember who said that!! But I know he ran for office on the Socialist ticket. I think he ran for president of the USA as a socialist.
Great summary – much better than all the editorializing, posturing and biased opinions of other “news sources.” But what about the provision that will ask doctors to forefit a significant percentage of medicare reimbursements? I had read that this is a significant part of how this new plan will actually save us money in the long run (yeah right). The entire scheme stinks from my libertarian standpoint. Bigger government, higher taxes, more interference in the free market: all misguided. As mentioned by someone earlier, the real reasons for the current high medical costs were not mentioned or addressed at all in this bill. Why? because it would adversely affect lawyers, i.e. tort reform, malpractice issues, insurance over-regulation, etc. Also the protectionist measures that prohibit us from buying drugs from Europe, Canada, Mexico, etc. contribute to high drug costs. This bill confirms that the givernment thinks we are all stupid. Soon enough, we’ll all be working for the Servile State.
Personally I think it’s a crock!!!!
I have not been to a dr but twice in 31 yrs (I’m 42) and both times were to give birth (14 & 21` yrs ago).
Why should I be forced to have insurance or pay a fine? Ridiculous!!!
I dont need it, nor want it and shouldn’t be ‘forced’ to have it or pay a fine, so much for ‘free’ country!?
I dont get into politics because it appears it doesnt matter…the ones who want something will push it through whether it’s wanted by majority or not.
Thanks for everyone’s comments – just to reiterate to a couple commenters, although I posted the article I did not write it (it was supplied by healthinsuranceproviders.com). I am not that familiar with all the intricacies of it, so if any points are off, please point them out in the comments.
I believe some of your facts are mistaken (or maybe dated to one of the previous versions).
I thought the penalties as listed on the charts on the WH website were much higher than the amts you listed (I think was as much as 9% in some cases) and are based on modified adjusted gross income (not just AGI) AND you said insurance co’s can’t charge higher rates for people with pre-existings or “health” conditions when in fact, the chart I saw, again on the President’s own web site said they can charge 300% base for those with tobacco related illnesses and 150% base rate for people over a certain age (with more health related conditions).
I am from Canada, living in the U.S. because I married a wonderful man from this country. While I am not in favour of the bill that was just passed, I’m also not dead-set against the system in place in Canada either. I do know, however, the two are worlds apart. In Canada there is no private health insurance except for dental and prescription coverage. It’s not a case telling for-profit companies how they must run their business, nor is it a combination of for-profit and public insurance as will surely result from the new regulations.
Arthur wrote <>
Many Canadian doctors take advantage of the subsidized University system in Canada and then, after they fulfill their placement requirement, move to the profit-based U.S. where their income isn’t capped by government mandate. Canada is seriously under-serviced in many rural areas, but it’s growing to include suburban areas also. In Canada the governments has a formula for how many patients it believes a doctor can see. There is no incentive for efficiency because if a doctor fits in more patients than the formula allows it is treated like double-billing; payment is denied and the doctor’s practice is put under heavy scrutiny.
Arthur wrote <>
I had cancer at age 34 when I lived in Canada. Since moving to the U.S. I have seen two Oncologists and both said they would have treated me exactly as I was treated. At no time did I feel I had to wait an unreasonable amount of time to be seen or treated in Canada. The doctors presented me with several options for treatment and I chose what I felt most comfortable with, based on their advice. When my treatment appeared not to be working, the doctors recommended, and I concured, to an immediate change of action. We changed it back again when it seemed prudent. There was never a panel, other than confering doctors, never limitation and never, ever, did I have to wait for an insurance company to agree or deny whatever was proposed. Never did money or worry about how I was going to pay enter into my mind. I had only to focus on how I would get better. I am now happily a 10-year survivor and I have an older sister who is a 15-year survivor.
That said, I later learned some older women did not share my perception of the speed and quality of care. Not having walked in their shoes, I will never know if I was pushed to the front of the line because of my age, or that was simply how they perceived it.
And I cannot deny that availability of care has decreased. Recently my sister went to Emergency for stomach pains. Tests were performed within a reasonable time (compared with my experience here in the U.S.). The doctors, however, were unable to determine the cause or how to alleviate my sister’s pain. They determined she was in no immediate danger, and moved on. There were no beds available so she was wheeled out into the hall until one came available. That was Monday evening. It wasn’t until Wednesday morning that was given a room!
I know this is a long post, and I apologize, but I am so torn about what a good solution is. Neither country has a perfect answer. A major issue in the U.S. that Canada doesn’t have to factor in is the large illegal immigrant population here. They create an expense that for-profit hospitals, doctors, labs and all facets of treatment must cope with. If the U.S. moves toward socialized medicine, the burden of this cost will fall on the tax-payer instead; the tax-payer who is already being forced to purchase health insurance to share expenses. One thing I do know – that’s not the foundation upon which America was built.
@Kevin
“Don’t forget the huge increase in the number of persons buying insurance that will put downward pressure on premiums. Coupled with the mandated benefits, it’s hard to say what the net affect will be. Also, don’t forget about the competition the exchanges will bring. This suggests premiums could go down and not up. Time will tell.”
You couldnt be more wrong. Insurance Co’s won’t lower premiums just because more people are joining. Are you kidding? Those will account for a huge increase in their profits and there are NO cost controls in the bill to control what they can charge in premiums year after year. They could raise them 100% each year if they like. Additionally, there is NO incentive for competition because they caved on the public option. As long as only private for-profit insurance companies are providing the insurance, they can all work in cahoots to keep prices high and even though they DO have to give you insurance, they can still keep on denying claims. All the govt added was an “appeals process” for denied claims…..like we all have infinite time to fight insurance companies on every claims through an “appeals process” (no details were supplied what that process is, hw much it will cost, how long it will take, who the arbiters are).
Lastly, when in this country’s history have Americans EVER been required to purchase a product froma private for profit company as a condition of birth (citizenship) or be penalized?
@Brooks: “I love this bill! I’m tired of paying for sick people going to the ER.”
Ummm, guess what? You will STILL be paying for those people because most of “those people” are illegal immigrants who can continue to go to the ER for free medical care because they are not required to buy insurance under this bill (thanks to the GOP who fought it). There’s only aout 12-20million of them here ….and growing.
@Laura: “Our country requires driver’s licenses and auto insurance to legally drive, having health coverage is no different.”
Wrong. Very different. I can CHOOSE to nnot drive or own a car and not face a government penalty for doing so. They are nothing alike.
@JGM: “If Peter above doesn’t want health insurance (young, not sick, doesn’t want to pay for it, will take the chance), if he stepped out into the street and got hit by a bus, and was terribly hurt, we’d take him to the hospital and care for him”
Actually that’s not how it works. They are only required to stabilize the patient (not treat) until they find out what kind or if he has insurance. If he doesn’t have insurance, chances are he will be discharged (once stabilized) and/or moved to a welfare type city hospital where believe me….you do NOT want to be “treated.” Additionally, we will all continue to pay for the ER costs of illegal immigrants who are not required, under this bill, to purchase insurance.
And costs will indeed rise because there were NO cost controls put in place in this bill. Insurance Co’s can charge whatever they like, raise premiumss as much as they like as long as what they provide meets the government standards. And since these companies are ALL private FOR-PROFIT companies, you can bet they will raise premiums because they have shareholders to keep happy and big bonuses to pay executives.
There were many ways that government could have established regulations in the insurance industry to achieve many of the same stated desires of this bill WITHOUT the mandate and that truly lowered costs and created real competition (public option) but Congress needs insurance companies for their re-election campaign dollars and couldn’t afford to piss them off. This bill is a giant corporate gift, and I DO believe the mandate is unconstitutional despite those who say the government has the right to “tax.” Yes they do have that right but according to them, this is NOT a tax. You are only “taxed” if you refuse to cooperate. Furthermore, at no other time in the history of this country have citizens been required to purchase a product from a private for profit company as a condition of having been born here. Other countries that provide universal coverage do not have such a mandate.
Full points to Obama for attempting to bring about change!!! And you don’t have to go to the extreme and compare the US to Sadam Hussein’s regime…that’s rubbish!!! The health care in the US does not impress me. . I remember watching a soap set in the US once, which would have been based on the current system at the time, where a mother could not afford medicine for her child who was critically ill – and this in a country where CEO’s are paid staggering amounts of millions of dollars in salary.
I live in a much smaller developed country of $4million people and our main foreign revenue earner is dairy and tourism – we are far from being called a rich nation. However, our government takes care of all her people, the rich and not so rich alike through subsidised health care. The US is in a $????trillion deficit so her citizens cannot expect life to go on as usual. Thankyou to the blogger who highlighted the Pros of the bill.
Meanwhile, the world watches and we are also praying that good will come of this new bill.
Fines for not having health care is ridiculous. (Especially considering you pay these fines to the IRS, which has NOTHING to do with health care..) Sigh, sometimes it is frustrating to trust God has control over this too, and his command to obey the law of the land still applies… Alright, I’m done venting. Thanks for posting this, it was informative.
Want to know what this health care reform will really cost you (and not just in dollars)?
Here’s the real skinny on it: http://ow.ly/1rh1V
The proposed health care reform of 2010 is not necessary and may well be very harmful.There is a large set of options to use effectively short of gutting the system. Copying the European health care system is a terrible idea: Get the facts about the Obama’s Health Care Reform, and the Healthcare System.
Something had to be done about healthcare in USA. I really dont think going at it through insurance companies was the right plan.
Ok,I understand it now – thanks for the explanations. But I’m still disappointed. Why? Because we citizens have a government that overspends for entitlement programs, proclaims loudly about the looming deficits to come and then has the gall to force, unconstitutionally, citizens to pay for the deficit again. The real remedy is NOT on the backs of the citizens. Congress failed to address real reform; medicare waste & fraud, insurance regulations, among others. And what family would carry a “child” to the ripe old age of 26? Get real here; an adult is any person over the age of 18 or 21. I am so disappointed and the ballot box is the remedy.
I am glad the president forced this very incomplete attempt at covering all americans with health insurance thru congress by any means necessary. This is needed to assist people with cases involving trama and serious health defects.
But most of our health concerns come from eating bad food, smoking, lack of exercise, excessive drinking (alcohol), abusing antibiotics, and over using pharmaceuticals. Then we run to the doctor for help when our health fails and expect the doctor to perform a miracle at a very reasonable cost. The best health insurance is a healthy lifestyle.
And yes it is my responsibility to provide care to those who cannot afford it. I am priviledged to be able to afford to help care for another who cannot help themself. It is what my Lord tells me to do.
Well,,,,,,,,,the government has done it again! Taken another little piece of control of my life and yours out of our hands, and of course if we don’t comply we pay a fine. Well, I’ll tell you what…….I’ll pay the fine
just like I happily pay the fine every time I am given a ticket for not wearing my seat belt. Now, I happen to be among the people who believe it is smart to wear your seat belt and I have always made my children put their seat belts on every we got in the car and when my grand children are in my car I will make sure they are secure, but If I don’t where my seat belt I think that’s my prerogative 
the last police officer who gave me a ticket for it tried to give me a lecture as well. I put my hand up and simply said “its my life”. So concerning, this new health care bill, I say “okay fine 
go ahead, fine me” its my life and my right to chose. People need to understand that it is the “working people” who pay for everything and it’s time more people got off their duffs and started working and taking care of themselves rather then being co-dependents of the government and the working peoples sweat. Our founding fathers would be disgraced at what has become of our nation and how large our government has gotten, their goal in writing the constitution was intended to avoid this!
Health care costs and mortality rate in other countries are the worst things to compare.
Yes, we pay MUCH more than other counries do; we’re getting the latest medications and CT scans, PET scans, MRIS, etc, they get aspirin and Xrays. YES, we pay more. So what? We pay more for EVERYTHING In tbis country, because we have more choices, we get the latest technologies, etc.
Mortality rates are an even stupider comparison. The USA counts ALL deaths in their mortality statistics; other countries…not so much.
They do not count deaths by accident, deaths by violence, death in war, and many don’t even count cancer deaths.
Infant mortality rates are another stupid comparison. Again, the USA counts all infant deaths. Other countries do not count deaths if the baby is under a pound, under a certain amount of inches long, or if it dies within three days (they call all these miscarrieages, even if the baby was full term)
The Left tout those numbers like they were handed down from Heaven, and while having no idea how utterly useles they are.
The real staticitics to look at are things like are things like survival rates from cancer.
How do we compare?
Number one in just about everything.
Fact No. 1: Americans have better survival rates than Europeans for common cancers.[1] Breast cancer mortality is 52 percent higher (Fifty two percent MORE people DIE) in Germany than in the United States, and 88 percent higher in the United Kingdom. Prostate cancer mortality is 604 percent higher in the U.K. and 457 percent higher in Norway. The mortality rate for colorectal cancer among British men and women is about 40 percent higher.
Fact No. 2: Americans have lower cancer mortality rates than Canadians.[2] Breast cancer mortality is 9 percent higher, prostate cancer is 184 percent higher and colon cancer mortality among men is about 10 percent higher than in the United States.
Fact No. 3: Americans have better access to treatment for chronic diseases than patients in other developed countries.[3] Some 56 percent of Americans who could benefit are taking statins, which reduce cholesterol and protect against heart disease. By comparison, of those patients who could benefit from these drugs, only 36 percent of the Dutch, 29 percent of the Swiss, 26 percent of Germans, 23 percent of Britons and 17 percent of Italians receive them.
Fact No. 4: Americans have better access to preventive cancer screening than Canadians.[4] Take the proportion of the appropriate-age population groups who have received recommended tests for breast, cervical, prostate and colon cancer:
Nine of 10 middle-aged American women (89 percent) have had a mammogram, compared to less than three-fourths of Canadians (72 percent).
Nearly all American women (96 percent) have had a pap smear, compared to less than 90 percent of Canadians.
More than half of American men (54 percent) have had a PSA test, compared to less than 1 in 6 Canadians (16 percent).
Nearly one-third of Americans (30 percent) have had a colonoscopy, compared with less than 1 in 20 Canadians (5 percent).
Fact No. 5: Lower income Americans are in better health than comparable Canadians. Twice as many American seniors with below-median incomes self-report “excellent” health compared to Canadian seniors (11.7 percent versus 5.8 percent). Conversely, white Canadian young adults with below-median incomes are 20 percent more likely than lower income Americans to describe their health as “fair or poor.”[5]
Fact No. 6: Americans spend less time waiting for care than patients in Canada and the U.K. Canadian and British patients wait about twice as long – sometimes more than a year – to see a specialist, to have elective surgery like hip replacements or to get radiation treatment for cancer.[6] All told, 827,429 people are waiting for some type of procedure in Canada.[7] In England, nearly 1.8 million people are waiting for a hospital admission or outpatient treatment.[8]
Fact No. 7: People in countries with more government control of health care are highly dissatisfied and believe reform is needed. More than 70 percent of German, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and British adults say their health system needs either “fundamental change” or “complete rebuilding.”[9]
Fact No. 8: Americans are more satisfied with the care they receive than Canadians. When asked about their own health care instead of the “health care system,” more than half of Americans (51.3 percent) are very satisfied with their health care services, compared to only 41.5 percent of Canadians; a lower proportion of Americans are dissatisfied (6.8 percent) than Canadians (8.5 percent).[10]
Fact No. 9: Americans have much better access to important new technologies like medical imaging than patients in Canada or the U.K. Maligned as a waste by economists and policymakers naïve to actual medical practice, an overwhelming majority of leading American physicians identified computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the most important medical innovations for improving patient care during the previous decade.[11] [See the table.] The United States has 34 CT scanners per million Americans, compared to 12 in Canada and eight in Britain. The United States has nearly 27 MRI machines per million compared to about 6 per million in Canada and Britain.[12]
Fact No. 10: Americans are responsible for the vast majority of all health care innovations.[13] The top five U.S. hospitals conduct more clinical trials than all the hospitals in any other single developed country.[14] Since the mid-1970s, the Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology has gone to American residents more often than recipients from all other countries combined.[15] In only five of the past 34 years did a scientist living in America not win or share in the prize. Most important recent medical innovations were developed in the United States.
From NCPA
You can kiss all that good-bye under Conrade Obama and his Hellthcare bill.
Here’s a reference for MissTammy’s facts: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba649.
And the NCPA’s Mission Statement (for the organization that provided those “statistics”): To provide private sector, free-market solutions to public policy problems.
Strategy is simple: In 2014 drop coverage, even if covered by a company. Pay your fine. Then if you get sick enough to need coverage, buy coverage for as long as you need it. No pre-ex rules. It will drive up costs for those who play by the rules, but this furthers the problems of our scam-driven healthcare system.
PS When they say they have increased insurance coverage for the uninsured it is another fallacy. Most of the newly covered will be through Medicaid, welfare not insurance.
It’s an amazing thing. What’s that quote? He who doesn’t learn from history is bound to repeat it. Socailized medicine doesn’t work in other countries, we can’t even keep our own Medicare solvent, why does anyone think we can pull this one off? Some of the scariest stuff out there are the expose’s on Canada’s hospitals. (Just look on line.) We cannot do better. Taxes will go through the roof. Services will decline. Government will get bigger, more cumbersome, less accessible, and more self-protecting.
People keep saying “Obamacare” will HELP people with no insurance. Maybe some of them, but what about those of us who are single, childless, and make slighly over 133% of the poverty line? Oh Right. We’re FORCED to buy insurance on OUR DIME, even if we are barely making ends meet. Or we have to pay a FINE.
This is what I’m so outraged about. I’m already poor (but since I’m single with no kids, I’m not sure the government considers me poor. I make a bit over $11,000/yr on a good year via freelancing…haven’t been able to get full-time work in 5 years now and government benefits have NEVER applied to me in the past since I have no children), and I already can’t afford health insurance, so the great Obama is going to FORCE me to buy health insurance I cannot afford in the first place, and if I choose to spend my money on rent so I have roof over my head instead of insurance, Obama will FINE me. Where is the fairness in this? How is this helping? If I could afford health insurance, I would have it already.
And let’s not even get into the problems of forcing businesses to provide comprehensive health insurance to their employees. Everyone who is jobless? Forget finding a job now. Companies are already talking about costs rising and using the word “lay-offs” in their speeches because of this health care law. So yeah, everyone will be forced to buy health insurance, but more and more people are going to find themselves being laid off, and the people who are already out of work won’t be able to find employment since companies can’t afford the costs of health care for everyone.
This is creating jobs… HOW? This law is going to destroy more jobs than it creates. Yes, we need health reform…but NOT this way.
MissTammy:
1 & 2: You have to pay for the full results of those studies (which I’m not going to do for an online discussion), but even the summary of one of the referenced articles noted that different sources on cancer data in the US listed different survival rates.
3. Part of the reason for this maybe that prescription drug prices are much higher in the US, and so drug companies provide more drugs to the US market where margins are higher. Imposing price controls would not only make drugs more affordable in the US, it could make them more accessible to the rest of the world as well.
4. Recent studies in the US have indicated that many of these screenings may be frivolous. If we want to control healthcare costs, we have to cut back on unnecessary tests.
5. What do low-income and senior Americans have in common? That’s right, they’re the only groups on a government-run health plan.
6. Several of the linked studies were done by the right-wing Fraser Institute, and one of the others was about techniques for reducing waits. On top of those factors, 2 reasons why wait times could be lower in the US are that 45 million people aren’t covered, and insurance companies generally try to deny everything. So you end up in a 3-month battle with your insurer, and if you’re approved for treatment (by no means guaranteed), you’ll then only wait 3 months for treatment. You’ve still waited 6 months, but only 3 of those count as “wait time”.
7. Depending on the poll, prior to this bill about 90% of Americans thought reform was necessary. Also in the abstract for the linked study: “The United States stands out for cost-related access barriers and less-efficient care.”
8. What about the other 40-50% of people? Perhaps only 41% of Canadians are “very satisfied”, but another 50% are “satisfied”, while 51% of Americans are “very satisfied”, while only another 10% are “satisfied”. Without full access to the study, it’s hard to comment on this claim. But it’s almost certain that the difference between 6.8% and 8.5% is statistically insignificant.
9. Insurance companies much prefer testing to treatment as it’s much cheaper for them, and doctors prefer it because it’s easier to get reimbursed. Having more diagnostic machines, while not a bad thing in a vacuum, is in many ways a symptom of the problems with US healthcare. I’d also like to know how many of those machines are actually available to the general public; I know most modern MLB and NFL locker rooms have MRIs, but that doesn’t do most people any good.
10. How much of that Nobel-winning research was funded by government grants? People claim that the government stifles innovation, when in fact technologies from nuclear power to velcro to the internet were all developed on the government’s dime. Making medical advances more accessible to the average American wouldn’t change people’s ability to innovate. We’ve attracted researchers by providing grants and allowing free communication, not by letting Aetna rack up record profits.
A few months from now I think people will start to feel a “bit” foolish about the negative comments and misleading information that they have stated about this bill. A few years from now they will and should feel deeply embarrassed about it.
Don’t let the Fox news channels and Political bipartisans fool you or scare you into believing that this bill is only going to hurt you. Thier agenda is all political and are only out to gain support for thier political party. If this bill is successful then the Republican and so called Tea party looses. So keep that in mind. This bill is for the “American” people all of us—not just the ones that have “thick” pocket books.
Obviously, I support this bill and I’m glad it finally passed.
Learn the facts, read it yourself and don’t let those with other agendas ruin something that was created for you!
As stated often—Ignorance will always be more expensive than Education!
ferreteria,
If you’re too cheap to educate yourself, why bother entering a discussion??
I’m sure the right-leaning articles are focusing on the scarier things that will happen, just as the left-leaning articles focus on demonizing doctors, insurance companies, and the entire health care industry here. And I do believe both sides think they’re telling the truth. Perspective is an amazing thing.
Imposing price controls is a scheme which fits quite nicely with socialist and Communist doctrine, so I have no doubt this administration be doing it soon, along with wage caps. I pray that no one ever decides that YOU are making too much money, and set restrictions on your salary, ferreteria, or restrict any business dealings you may have by determining your profit margin.
“MAY be frivolous” and ” If we want to control healthcare costs, we have to cut back on unnecessary tests. “….the most frightening thing of all. Who determines what is “unnecessary”? Our treatment will NOT be decided by our physicians, it will be decided by a bunch of Excel spreadsheets and Power Point pie charts.
Medicaid and Medicare are PERFECT examples for this debate, glad you brought them up. Yes, they provide coverage. But they are also completely broke! The first experiments in government funded health care, and they both have failed miserably. Doctors are beginning to refuse to treat Medicare patients because they are unable to afford them…yet somehow adding 48 million people, most of whom will be subsidized by the government, will magically work. Dream on.
As to the polling, we don’t know how the questions were phrased. If you asked me, “Do you want everyone in America to own their own home?” my answer would be a firm YES. However, if you them asked me if the government should provide those homes, my answer would be definitely NO. Once the debate got going last year, I believe 87% of people polled said they were quite happy with their insurance, thank you very much. In all fairness, I believe poll numbers to be just as partisan as anything else, on both sides of the aisle. And I do agree with you about the difference being relatively insignificant.
“Insurance companies much prefer testing to treatment as it’s much cheaper for them, and doctors prefer it because it’s easier to get reimbursed. ” I am not even sure how to respond to this. Spoken like a person who comes form a place where they lack basic screening tests. All I can say is, I am very glad my father got a simple PSA test, that detected his cancer very early while still treatable, as opposed to being in some country that deemed it FRIVOLOUS.
“Having more diagnostic machines, while not a bad thing in a vacuum is in many ways a symptom of the problems with US healthcare.” I am just not even sure how to reply to this. Again, it’s a problem I am very glad to have. Do you even live here? Every major hospital in the country has these things!!! Even the smaller hospitals have basic things like ultrasound machines…I just had a thyroid biopsy this afternoon; my doctor used a portable ultrasound machine to help him.
I agree that government in and of itself doesn’t necessarily stifle innovation, but if the government is the only source of funding, no one will be able to afford to do too much research. Most research leads to dead-ends, and thus requires plenty of money. No doubt research too will be deemed “frivolous” and “unnecessary”
Truly, though, the only thing I need to know about our healthcare system is that a premier of Canada just came here for his heart surgery.
And the only thing I need to know about Obamacare is that Congress had it written in to the bill they themselves do NOT have to take it.
MissTammy:
Have you read the full text of every source cited in that article?
Yes, both sides have engaged in far too much fear-mongering, paranoia, and political posturing. Combining socialism and communism is one of those tactics employed by the right, seeking to paint anyone who sets up a community garden as a closet Stalinist. Communism and socialism are very different things (this is a distinction you can learn for free, I might add), and the doomsday scenarios you posit only exist in the twisted minds of radical right-wing shock jocks.
Who do you think determines your treatment now? It’s not your doctor, it’s adjusters at your insurance company, who do it via actuarial tables — a bunch of Excel sheets and Powerpoint slides. If anything, a government run system will provide better, physician-directed care by taking profit out of the equation.
How have Medicare and Medicaid failed? People on those programs are generally happier with their healthcare than those on private insurance. Plenty of doctors will turn away or de-prioritize anyone paying with insurance as well, since insurance companies also set limits on what they’ll pay for procedures.
Didn’t you read the whole ruckus a month or two ago about the recommended age at which women should start getting mammograms? My point was that there’s a lot of debate about what age people should start getting certain screenings, and that it’s entirely possible other countries simply have different guidelines on what those ages are.
Every major hospital in western Europe also has MRI and CT machines. I live in the US, and there are 6 or so major hospitals in my area of about 2 million people. I’m sure all of them have those machines, as do several smaller facilities. But there’s no way you get anywhere close to 100+ per million until you start counting the sports arenas, private research facilities, and so on. 8-10 per million is plenty to provide those test to anyone who needs them.
If anything, government-funded research is less results (i.e., profit) oriented that privately-funded research. Much of the research done at government-funded supercolliders has no obvious practical applications, yet continues to be funded (no thanks to Bush). You seem to think private companies are immune to these types of cost-benefit analyses, when in fact they employ them more often and on a shorter timeframe than do most publicly-funded programs.
I’ve said before that the US has excellent healthcare if you’re incredibly rich. Danny Williams, the premier you mention, has an estimated net worth of over $200 million. Most people in the US couldn’t have received the treatment he did, either. It’s also likely that his decision was politically motivated, as he’s been a vocal opponent of Canada’s health care system.
The house version of the bill had the public option in it, which would have allowed anyone to buy into the same system used by members of Congress. I agree though that this bill is far from perfect; a public option would be better, and true single-payer would be better yet. Health care reform needs to be less about providing insurance and more about providing care to those who need it.
Thankfully, burden sharing ministries (like Medi-Share and Samaritan’s Ministries) are exempt from the penalties of this bill. Those enrolled in these organizations will still be able keep them.
From an email I received from Medi-Share last week:
“Healthcare Sharing Ministries like Medi-Share are the only organized healthcare concept to receive an exemption from the regulations and costs of the recently passed law. (page 327, H.R. 3590 as passed). “
The “small business tax credit” implications of this bill are enormous. Our company spends out of pocket approximately $4,500 annually per employee to offer group health insurance. If by having “50 or fewer” full time employees, companies can take a 35% tax credit on health insurance costs in 2010, then this provision will save us $1,575 per employee. Contrary to this administration’s “pro-jobs” claims, this provision will either delay hiring or result in the formation of new “under 50 employee” corporations. Perhaps the tax credit considers this risk by having a graduated credit at different levels of employees?
Thank you. I’m even more excited about this bill now. Requiring everyone to buy insurance means all of our rates will come down, and no more exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
At last, government (and a Congress) that works. Frankly, I’m relieved.
It gets Better People…. You’ll get health care, but you’ll lose your jobs….
This bill is a job killer…. the usa rewards companies to export jobs…. so now if your a company facing tax hikes, why would you create jobs here? when you can go to a third world country thta is begging for your business and pay people a fraction of the cost… with no mandates on what you supply your employees…
Yeah… we all got health care now… more like obama welfare… So when you or a loved one losses a job, due to cost…. you’ll know why…
I’m fairly neutral towards the reform.
We really need SOME kind of reform, as healthcare costs are out of control and medicare and medicaid deficits are going to grow exponentially and need to be fixed. Virtually all brand-name drugs like Lipitor cost 4 times as much in the US as compared to New Zealand, and twice as much as compared to Europe, because by being basically the only large developed country without socialized medicine, we lack the bargaining power and so the drug companies squeeze all the money they can out of us. We’re basically helping to pay for OTHER countries to have socialized medicine, since drug companies offer cheap drugs to those countries while jacking up their prices here. I’m not sure what the best fix for that is- join the socialized ranks out of necessity or develop some other form of cost control or bargaining power at least. I think the latter is preferable.
The reform, though, hasn’t really addressed any core problems. America spends so much on healthcare because Americans on average take poor care of their health, because we have no good cost control of pharmaceuticals and so end up paying 4x as much for the same pill, and because preventative treatment is often overlooked. This bill gives more people insurance, but costs are not under control. Taxing insurance companies, people that want to get tan, and wealthier folks to pay for this is short-sighted.
What disappointments me more, though, is how politicians and citizens in general have dealt with this.
Firstly, while Obama did indeed want to reform healthcare since his campaign, the times have changed and he must change. The economy collapsed during his campaign so it’s foolish to continue on his mission as though nothing changed. Healthcare reform is a necessity, but it’s bad timing at the moment and Obama seems to be doing it for his legacy as a president and to try to make good on his campaign promises rather than because it’s what really needs to be done at this time, which is somewhat noble but at the same time detrimental to the country.
Secondly, Congress has been terrible. I take issue with Democrats for the same issue as with Obama- they’re doing this at the wrong time and in the wrong way. This reform doesn’t address the core problems, and just sugarcoats the issues. I take issue with Republicans for refusing to work towards a greater goal and for fear-mongering.
Lastly, the lack of maturity of this country as a whole has disturbed me. People are getting caught up in emotional arguments. People are arguing that government just wants more control, when really all the government is trying to do is what they said they wanted to do during their campaigns- make healthcare more affordable through reform. There’s so much conspiracy about communists and other emotional things. Obama and the Democrats are just doing what they said they’d do during their campaigns and were fairly voted in by the American people to do what they said they’d do. I’d prefer it if citizens and Congress focused more on the core issues- how can we make healthcare more affordable, how can we fix medicare and medicaid, how can we help more people get insurance, rather than political squabbles and emotional arguments. Maybe if people (and Congress) focused on addressing the actual problems instead of emotional attacks then we’d have had a better reform than this- one that actually addresses the issues without again and again raising taxes and making government bigger.
Have any of the posters actually spoken to people from Canada, New Zealand, England, Germany, who have government run healthcare? Their taxes are through the roof. Talk to people. Really, don’t take my word for it, I’m a sinner and fallible.
An English friend’s mom’s hysterectomy wound did not heal properly. During the post op visit she was shown how to pack her own wound. (If you’ve never seen this done personally, it’s not for the queasy.) There were no more follow up visits. A young boy with a brain tumor (grandson of my mom’s friend) could not get the help he needed in Germany because they didn’t have the technology, but Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia had all the stuff in place. My husband’s friend’s daughter in NZ cut the back of her leg after falling through a glass sliding door, severing her Achilles tendon. If the doctor had not found the tendon and repaired it(which had retracted) within the set amount of time designated for that surgery, she would have been sewn up as is and left crippled. There is an offset between money in and services. Do we want this kind of care or do we expect what we’re getting currently without paying for it?
A friend who is a pediatric oncologist has gone to international conferences. He’s been asked repeatedly, what does our government think they are doing?, government run healthcare doesn’t work.
Or consider this. If our own Medicare/Social Security system takes three people paying taxes (plus their employers) to support one current recipient, (call up social security and ask for yourself if you don’t believe me, we are supporting current people), why do we think the money to cover us all will magically appear by taxing all the “rich people”?
You may assume we will have recourse, we won’t. I’ve tried to fight several fraudulant charges on my mom’s bills with Medicare and have gotten no where. What pencil pusher in government wants to add more work to their platter over a $125 charge? They just hang up on you over and over. I wrote a complaint, sending in the bills and chronolgy, and received a very nice form letter, and no indication of follow up. (Her supplemental insurance still paid out and was never reimbursed.)
If our Medicare system is so inefficient, (check your folk’s Medicare paid rental costs for durable medical equipment for an eye opener), can be abused so easily, and bureaucratic, and socialized medicine really doesn’t “work” in other countries, then why do we, as the USA, think it will some how miraculously work for us? That we’re so wonderfully different, we can pull it off? I’m trying to be kind, but what are you guys thinking?
This bill doesn’t address real issues. As someone else mentioned, tackle the root causes and stop playing politics.
i think that this bill’s negatives far outweigh the positives in many areas.
some college students do not want to have health insurance. this bill will increase waiting time for specialists which causes a huge problem for people who see a specialist now. yes we need some type of afforadable health care for everyone but our government should not be so involved in our lives. i know that this is going to greatly increase the waiting time for people in need of organ transplants. i have a family member with a rare blood type waiting for a heart and with this bill passing he will probably never get it now. this bill is going to cause huge issues in our medical system with more patients and a shortage of doctors and nurses everyone will be waiting for basic medical care.
What’s in the bill doesn’t matter to myself as much as the fact that the bill was passed unconstitutionally. Sure, the democrats had the simple majority to pass the bill, but the republicans had not let it out of debate yet. By rule of the U.S. Constitution, the senate needs 60 votes to end debate on a bill. Last I heard there was only like 52-58. Close, but no cigar. So, this bill violates the method of passing a bill described in the U.S. Constitution, and is therefore unconstitutional. I heard a Democratic senator say on the news that “Congress does this all the time.” That has got to be the weakest excuse I’ve ever heard in politics. Knowing politicians, would something they do “all the time” automatically be what they’re allowed to do? Also, I thought it was kind of funny that the Senator couldn’t name one time when Congress did pass a bill this way in the past. So, the way I see, there’s more at stake here than health care. The U.S. Constitution is at stake here. If we cast it aside for this bill, how many more? Are we just going to completely ignore it as a nation? To me, this bill is a challange to our integrity as a nation. I love the Constitution, and I would love to see it stay in place and obayed by our government.
By the way, when a politician says that they’re doing something that they do “all the time”, that should be an instant give-a-way that they’re doing something they’re not allowed to do.
Just one question. How much does the insurance plan that our Senators and Representatives cost the American taxpayer, and will it be taxed as a “Cadillac” plan?
I hear a lot of complaints and people saying that its going to increase costs, not one person has said how it will increase costs. let me give you a scenario: I am a father of 3 children and my wife stays at home. We are filing our second bankruptcy on medical bills. The first one was for 60k dollars(had 1 kid then and I made $10/hr), this bankruptcy is for about 55k dollars(have 3 kids and make just under 40k/yr). If i could afford insurance for my family i would buy it instead of force hospitals to write of $115,000 in 5 years of which everyone else gets to pick up the tab on. I don’t know for sure how this bill will decrease the overall cost of health insurance to Americans, but i do know that a promethezine pill costs about 90 cents in a perscription, and when my wife got one in the ER it cost $280 to get intraveniously. Either hospitals are plain ripping people off or marking everything up to cover the amount of write offs to people who can’t even pay the interest on their medical bills.
Ryan
I understand how upset many are, fearing that these changes will cost too much but there are some very important changes in this bill that are long overdue. These are changes that impact so many lives.
I have a child with a serious illness. I am thankful for a good job and good health insurance, but was terrified of drowning if I lost insurance because of a pre-exisiting condition or reached a lifetime limit.
I also have a son who just finished college and does not have coverage as he seeks a job. Many of his friend are in the same boat and not one of them wants to be there. They all want health insurance, understanding how important it is to stay healthy and that anything could happen. So, where are these young people who don’t want insurance???
I have a great job and am able to pay for health insurance. I cannot imagine what it is like for those who don’t have. And I realize today more than ever that losing a job and serious illness could happen to anyone!! If this bill means I need to pay a bit more for others to be healthy and secure, great! I consider it a joy to be able to give!
Ryan, Your post is a GREAT example of why this country is torn in two right now. American was created on the principle of individual responsibility, and will only succeed if we get back to this foundation. Having children with a low paying job with no insurance is very irresponsible. Then to expect your neighbors to pay for it is called socialism. It doesn’t work, never has, and some of us still want to save this country. Unfortunately there appears to be more of you than there is of us, and those of us that believe in America and what it was created to be will be forced into extinction soon.
The thing that really bothers me is that those of you that want to be cared for by the government don’t want to go to live where they do this already. Instead, you force me to live under a government that wants to take from me and give it to you so you can continue to live your irresponsible life. This makes absolutely no sense! But enjoy your rationed, bankrupt national healthcare system brought to you by the same people that have given you your rationed, bankrupt national retirement, and senior health care programs!
First of all the American Health service is not the best in the world it ranks 35TH in the world! How can that even count when you have hundreds of thousands of people dying because they can not afford health care like in other developing countries. Do not believe the biased information that side give, I’m not saying its not always true and but it is always biased information that suits their motive. Therefore take a look at the oppositions facts and also the neutrals point of view to get a true picture, do your own research don’t just blindly listen and then throw those facts around.
The Health care system in Britain, Europe and Canada is just as good as America’s. If you have not noticed I believe that everyone deserves free health care even those who are to lazy to work and those unfortunate people who work hard but still struggle and can not afford to pay for Health care. I see it as my duty as a human being and as a Christian.
i am in the military so i know exactly what is going to happen to the civilian healthcare, it will be exactly like in the military, facilities will not spend alot of money on medications and the will give you the cheapest form of what you need. i have chronic tension headaches that can send me to the ER and all the military will give me is Motrin. and the headaches are caused from a back injury i recieved while in the service. i hope and pry that this bill gets repealled. it is one of the worse things that a president has done.
I was wondering what all the fuss was about over this new bill. After reading this summary and how little it actually does I am confounded how anyone was opposed to it. I tried reading the post above and most people are talking about the negatives outweighing the positives – but they never listed any negatives. I still have yet to find anything wrong with it. I also find it hilarious that so many people just out right trust the big corporations to protect us over the government. Phillip/Morris makes billions a year off of killing us and AIG almost tanked the economy.
What do we think about the passage of health care bill? Not a heck of alot! It in unconstitutional. If it is true Americans will be forced to implant microchips, we have big trouble in River City right now.
Unfortunately I imagine that most of the people who are against this bill already have health care. I can say from my standpoint and my partners that we both welcome healthcare when we didn’t have insurance. Not having health care is the No 1 reason for bankruptcy in America. Squabbles of money and freedom to choose aside millions of humans will benefit which is the opposite of a massive funding towards a war that I didn’t want. I’ll take health care from a president that is fighting for Americas interest over a president that fights for private interest anyday!
If you think this so called health care bill was about Americas interest you are sadly mistaken. If it was there was much easier ways to that. This bill is only about the governments contol over you and big business, just like bail outs and financial reform. This kind of legislation is what our founders died to protect us from. In retrospect, what a waste of life for them! Shame on ALL of us for not appreciating the sacrifice made by so many over the years! Our grandparents beat the Nazi’s in WWII, only to have us embrace Fascism today!
HealthCare.gov provides the most up to date, factual information in addition to the WhiteHouse site. No one’s right to choose is being taken from them, but it is true that more people get to choose. In this state our insurance premiums have gone to $1,200 per month, per person. The only alternative choice provides cheaper cost but sub-standard coverage that doctors are bailing from. If you have a pre-existing condition, you can’t get coverage. If you are self employed, you’re stuck with the high cost or nothing. So, those of you who work for others & get your insurance through your employer, consider the working people who don’t/can’t & also need affordable insurance. It is factually untrue that 55% of Americans reject this bill. What they reject is that it’s watered down from what they wanted most.
A friend sent me an email the other day saying that the new health bill has a provision in it that will result in home sales being taxed like 3% in 2014. He says this is part of the health bill. Is there any truth to this? Has anyone else seen something like this?
This sounds to me like millions REMAIN without healthcare for YEARS – it doesn’t really sound like a solution to anything, AND insurance companies, although they would actually have to pay out claims, are now an official part of our healthcare, mandated by government. I’m not sure this was what universal healthcare means, this sounds more like mandating everyone to support a business. A crooked business. Sounds beyond crooked to me, and in the middle of a chronic illness I was offered Hope and things did in fact Change greatly – for the worse. What about Drs’ over-excited attitude about distributing antibiotics, or their lack of concern for the patient knowing what is happening to their own body? What about the insane charges for the tiniest things, the fact that vaccines are being released after minimal testing, and the general attitude toward the population as lab rats? Or what about Dr’s using psych meds as mental restraints to “mellow people out”? What about OUR HEALTH???
Speaking of loop holes. My son is employed and has a pre-existing condition and has just been covered under group insurance. His pre-existing condition, however is not covered. According to new high risk pools in states he has to be uninsured for six months prior to be eligible for this insurance. What’s he to do? I think they need to do away with pre-existing conditions with group insurance right now, not 2014. None of us knows when we may be struck with a disabling disease that is out of our control. I think all Americans should be able to live a healthy life.
WOW Nane State Progressive run ourlives slowly but surely. So this bill will force me to get insurance no matter of what, because right now I am in the middle of shopping my health insurance, thanks for the government income guideline that kicked away from Medicaid/Family Health Plus system; and I don’t qualify for the company health insurance.
I think we’re seeing the effects of the health care bill at my place of employment as our policy renewal time is upon us. Rates have skyrocketed, deductables have been raised to the point of rendering insurance useless to the average user. But according to our president’s new law I must pay into this system or become a criminal?
Maybe it will at least bring some hospitals out of the red. I worked part time at a hospital once and there was a lot of talk about how they were forced to take patients that had no way to pay for treatment. Hospitals in areas of low income or high unemployment going bankrupt is definitely a bad thing. If people are required to have insurance these hospital won’t have to hand out free emergency services anymore. It’s not the best situation but it’s better than the alternative.
Forcing people to have health insurance and thinking it will reduce the problem is like taking guns away from registered owners and hoping crime will go down. There are too many illegal residents in the U.S. for the Canadian/European health care model to ever work (though ObamaCare is a far cry from either of those).
It would have been much better if the restrictions on insurance companies were lifted to allow them to be more efficient (cross state lines to reduce redundancies) and to operate as the American free market economy is meant to do.
This bill is amazing. God Bless America and God Bless President Obama. He is doing what he said he would do and wasting no time in getting it all into motion. Everyone is yelling about spreading the wealth when that is the way it has always been. Everytime one of the huge corporations, banks, businesses mess up the tax payers have always had to bail them out. Our taxes are always raised for these terrible things and it is the middle class and the poor that are hurt the most with these tax increased. Keep that in mind!!!! Health care in America is so completely out of hand and way tooooooooo costly for most to even consider having coverage unless you have an employer plan. This is what we need. Of all the things that should be addressed today in America, health care is one of them. God Bless you President Obama. I hope all of you will sit back and ask What would Jesus do? Finally Every person in America will be taken care of and have the same chance for health care!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to do!!!!!!!!!!
Im young and I dont know what half of some of this means but everyone needs health insurance. I myself have gotton alot of bills and Im only 17, I’m 6 months pregnant and havn’t gotton medical I’ve been to the ER and back because of infections and electrolytes being so low my heart starts palipating. Emergencys should be covered I don’t think people should be charged for medical expences or doctor visits. Iv’e seen my dad, his mom, my boyfriends mom, my boyfriend and other people around me struggling because of this country. It’s like if we dont have money we can’t do anything about our bodies. I think it will be bull crap if we have to wait like this, if we can’t do anything about this now I don’t think it will ever be solved.
And who, Ashley, do you imagine should and will pay for your doctor visits and medical expenses that you think you ought not be charged for? Me, who stayed in school and didn’t get pregnant at 17, which improved my education and ability to earn a higher wage? Because I have to tell you, I don’t think so!
We really need to relieve industry of the healthcare burden, and make it a government function, like roads and police. Free market forces don’t work for healthcare because people will pay anything to stay alive. The healthcare industry figured that out, so now that’s what they charge — anything they want.
If the US were one large corporation, they would consolidate all the little inefficient plans spread throughout the country into a single effecient overhead operation. That’s what we need to do in order to compete with China Inc.
Gary, you’re ignorant. Kindly look at UK, Australia, etc. where hospitals are shutting down in record amounts, and health care itself is declining. This is what happens when government tries to run health-care. Works fine for a few decades, then it slowly crumbles.
I was shocked to learn last week that $1 Billion of taxpayer money is already being spent under this “Reform” Act, without fanfare – in fact, it’s a closely-held secret.. No, it’s not going for health care “reform”. Instead, it is going to prop up hundreds of tiny venture capital-backed companies, especially in San Francisco, California. This has nothing to do with Health Care “Reform”, folks. Yes, these risky little companies intend to work on new drugs and devices, but up to 9 out of 10 will fail within 10 years without ever launching a product (which is why they were started by VC’s). You can call it corporate welfare or hidden earmarks, but you can’t call it health care “Reform”. Absolutely. Shocking. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2010/11/1st-federal-biotech-grants-coming-in.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article
Just think of all the clerical, legal and administrative costs of all of the provisions noted. And then, look back through and see which of the things noted will cost less, as opposed to those that will cost more. When you raise the cost of things, the normal reaction is that you get less of it, and that will be the case with healthcare. Administrative and bureacratic costs now are apparently about 30% and will go up dramatically. Also, note such things as exemptions from required purchase by certain select religious groups and other such unconstitutional requirements.
If you are employed and have health insurance through your employer, nothing changes for you. Otherwise, you will get a lot of financial help signing up for health insurance. Everyone can take advantage of the subsidies and sign up their families for health insurance. Quoting the Christian Science Monitor:
“The formula is pretty complicated. Basically, though, people who make three or four times the poverty level would get enough federal money so that they would not have to pay more than about 10 percent of their income for a decent health insurance package.
People who make less would have to pay a smaller slice of their income for coverage. For instance, individuals who make about $14,000, and four-person families with incomes of about $29,000, would not have to pay more than 3 to 4 percent of their incomes for insurance.
And those who make even less – under 133 percent of the federal poverty level – would be able to enroll in a newly expanded Medicaid program.”
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