Community | March 22, 2010 | 11 comments

6 health care reform elements that go into effect this year

Image
WakeUpPeople
#1 New help for some uninsured: People with medical conditions that have left them uninsurable may be able to enroll in a new federally subsidized insurance program that's to be established within 90 days. The legislation appropriates $5 billion for this, although that may not be enough to cover all who apply; it's not clear how much consumers would pay as their share of the cost. About 200,000 people are covered in similar state programs currently, at an estimated cost of $1 billion a year, said Karen Pollitz, a research professor at Georgetown University.

#2 Discounts and free care in Medicare: The approximately 4 million Medicare beneficiaries who hit the so-called "doughnut hole" in the program's drug plan will get $250 rebates this year. Next year, their cost of drugs in the coverage gap will go down by 50 percent. Preventive care, such as some types of cancer screening, will be free of co-payments or deductibles starting this year.

#3 Coverage of children: Parents will be allowed to keep their children on their health insurance plans until they're 26 years old, unless the children are eligible for coverage through jobs. Insurance plans can't exclude pre-existing medical conditions from coverage for children younger than 19, although insurers still could reject those children outright for coverage in the individual market until 2014.

#4 Tax credits for businesses: Businesses with fewer than 25 employees and average wages of less than $50,000 could qualify for tax credits of up to 35 percent of the costs of their premiums.

#5 Changes to insurance: All existing insurance plans will be barred from imposing lifetime caps on coverage. Restrictions also will be placed on annual limits on coverage. Insurers no longer can cancel insurance retroactively for things other than outright fraud.

#6 Government oversight: Insurers must report how much they spend on medical care vs. administrative costs, a step that will be followed later by tighter government review of premium increases.

more at link...
  1. groups:
    Community,   US Politics,   Progressive America,   Humanism,   2 more
  2. tags:
    Health Care Reform,  Socialism
  3. recommended by:
    WakeUpPeople
  4.     
    |

11 comments // 6 health care reform elements that go into effect this year

  • JohnA
  • WakeUpPeople
    • 0
      WakeUpPeople  
    • JohnA:

      Jan 1, 2013, but you will only be affected if you make over $200,000 a year as an individual, or if your household income is over $250,000. It will be an increase of 0.9% on earned income. There is a 3.8% increase on unearned income (interest, dividends, etc.) for people in the same income bracket.

      *made edit to start date and added more info*

    • 2 years ago
  • JohnA
  • WakeUpPeople
    • 0
      WakeUpPeople  
    • JohnA:

      I was just answering your question. I can't see into the future and neither can you, so we do our best with the info we have.

      I know that the CBO has estimated that in ten years the deficit will be reduced by $140B and then reduced by over $1T for the second decade. They WILL be wrong to a certain degree, but they would be UNBELIEVABLY wrong if this actually made our deficit worse in the 20 year long run.

      "To lay taxes to provide for the general welfare of the United States, that is to say, 'to lay taxes for the purpose of providing for the general welfare.' For the laying of taxes is the power, and the general welfare the purpose for which the power is to be exercised. They are not to lay taxes ad libitum for any purpose they please; but only to pay the debts or provide for the welfare of the Union." ~Thomas Jefferson

      So this HCR bill "provides for the general welfare" and "pays the debts". Sounds like ol' Founding Father TJ would have liked it. (I can provide you with many more quotes if you want)

    • 2 years ago
  • Darevalo
    • +1
      Darevalo  

    • awesome. 26 now instead of 24. suck it extra two years of university. i'll be insured and worry free. thank you too part time job that i dont qualify for health insurance at.

    • 2 years ago
  • fun_size
  • Darevalo
  • courage
    • -1
      courage  

    • forgot the 25 % rize in capital gains taxes.add this bill to the Bush tax cuts being allowed to expire and every one who might offer you a job will be paying 53% of his life earnings to the goverment I for one wont be hiring The insurance companies will be out of business in 3 years or less and the dems will step in and save us hahaha

    • 2 years ago
  • fun_size
    • 0
      fun_size  
    • courage:

      And the Bush tax cuts effect the average person how? I dont know about you but i most definitely do not make the millions of dollars a year required to benefit from those tax cuts...

      Also where are you getting these facts and statistics? In 3 years insurance companies are going to go bankrupt? Are you high or something? Theyve been making record profits for years now... im not too worried if giving millions of Americans insurance cuts into their profit margins. Healthcare should NEVER be run for profit in the first place.

    • 2 years ago
  • CaptB
    • 0
      CaptB  

    • I don't care about the specifics, hahahaha. I am just glad it passed.

      No, seriously, thank you for illuminating what is on the bill. I think this is one of the greatest things the government has done in the last 30 some odd years.

      Nixon and Kennedy tried to pass something, the Clintons tried to pass something. Now Obama has been able to do it. Incredible.

    • 2 years ago
  • kennymotown
more from Community:
from the community

top videos