Can someone please explain the health care reform to me?

Two things.

1. Americans will now be required to buy health insurance… Now, that in and of itself is a score for the insurance companies. Do business with them, or break the law. Also, if you don’t have insurance you must pay a ‘fine’ that goes to the government. I don’t care what they call it, that’s illegal taxation as far as I’m conerned.
This’ll hit people in the middle class hard. Those who make too much money to be covered by Medicaid, and struggle now to pay for insurance. (We are insured. As much as we can afford anyway, and nearly 60% of our income goes to insurance and medical expenses right now.)
The ‘cap’ proposed on premiums won’t help us one bit. They actually have room to charge many even more.
We have a friend who’s insurance company in preparation for this new ‘cap’ raised premium rates for her family by 30%.
Employers are required to provide health insurance, even for part time employees. For a small hospital/clinic like ours, that is already cutting hours for employees to stay afloat, this runs a very real chance of tanking it. Small business owners with only one or a few employees will get hit hard.

Originally posted by SaturnFX
Long story short...it becomes more profitable to cure something than to treat something finally.

No.

2. They are simply expanding Medicaid to cover an additional 32 million Americans. Medicaid is a bureaucratic-red-tape-leviathan. It’s designed to make sure that the Government can wiggle out of as much monetary responsibility as possible, and it’s the health care providers that take it in the teeth.
For example, it only reciprocates on average 40% of most diagnostic exams. Or take RAC audits; the Government hires private companies to go in and ‘audit’ hospitals and clinics. Ostensibly looking for ‘fraud’, i.e. ‘any mistake they’ve made in the paperwork.’ Paperwork designed to be a contradictory, convoluted, bloated, version of dragon poker that must be submitted in tens. (At our little hospital here they knock 20% off of your bill if you aren’t using Medicaid, because they don’t have to spend the resources to ‘play the Medicaid game’.) These companies then get 10% of the ‘recovered funds’ for being good dogs, and sniffing out all the ‘fraud’, which they (the auditors) determine (what is fraud or not) posthumously (after the care has already been given.)
This will tank hospitals too. Which means, fewer fascilities, fewer physicians, and ultimately less care, and less quality care in what is left.
Also, there is the old ‘our taxes will go up’saw. I know this echoes every citizen-whine from the dawn of civilization, but there it is. This’ll have to be paid for, whether I wanted it or not, even when it costs my husband his job here. If you are in that position, that’ll get your hackles up. I don’t care who you are.
Now, the proposed budget for this thing is (currently) 940 billion. Compared to how many zero’s are in 11.4 trillion, I must admit, barely a drop in the bucket really. Keep in mind that the U.S. government hasn’t been able to stay on-budget for much since… Well, ever really… Chronic, over-spending has gotten to the point that a ‘proposed budget’ for the government has become a running joke. Somehow, this is supposed to help the Federal Government save money. It’s supposed to “cut deficits by an estimated $138 billion over a decade”. Somehow… Magically I guess. I must admit, I’m confused.
My prediction: I’m going to be paying more for insurance, more taxes, and this little hospital (where my husband is currently employed) will sink under the weight of an ever-expanding Medicaid Colossus within four years.

I haven't quite figured out why it is so expensive. It's not like the government is providing universal health care/coverage. They are mearly setting up standards and enforcing mandatory *purchasing* of health care. Perhaps most of the cost is going to the grants that are helping the lower incomes actually pay for this mandate?

In any case, I cannot see how this helps *anyone* except the insurance companies. They get a mandatory customer base and all they have to do is pay the government a small annual fee. yay for them.

Funny thing is it actually doesn't affect me in the slightest unless I get laid off. I already work full time and have family coverage. My coverage premium is way below the 660/month cap. So more of the same.

Originally posted by Absence of Self
From the BBC

Cost: $940bn over 10 years; would reduce deficit by $143bn

spending 940bn does not reduce the deficit at all.

Coverage: Expanded to 32m currently uninsured Americans[

expanded? you mean they couldn't buy insurance before! oh wait now they have to buy health insurance, seems logical!

Medicare: Prescription drug coverage gap closed; affected over-65s receive rebate and discount on brand name drugs

So they get a $250 rebate. "$250" that's half a bottle of pills some need if that.

Medicaid: Expanded to include families under 65 with gross income of up to 133% of federal poverty level and childless adults

This sounds good in theory, but why is there an age limit on this?

Insurance reforms: Insurers can no longer deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions

This is a good thing, but does this mean that the insurance companies can not charge the people with pre-existing conditions, literally and arm and a leg for this said coverage?

Insurance exchanges: Uninsured and self-employed able to purchase insurance through state-based exchanges

Again you mean to tell me these people could not buy insurance before! or does this mean that it will lower cost so that they can afford it?

Subsidies: Low-income individuals and families wanting to purchase own health insurance eligible for subsidies

subsidies - 1.a direct pecuniary aid furnished by a government to a private industrial undertaking, a charity organization, or the like.

2.a sum paid, often in accordance with a treaty, by one government to another to secure some service in return.

3.a grant or contribution of money.

4.money formerly granted by the English Parliament to the crown for special needs.

So not only will these organizations put in place which I might add already exist, they will now sell to those who cannot afford it? kind of an oxymoron if you ask me.

Individual Mandate: Those not covered by Medicaid or Medicare must be insured or face fine

why? seriously why?

High-cost insurance: Employers offering workers pricier plans subject to tax on excess premium

what does that even mean?

whats this do to people like me im on mental disability and have medicare and my states medical the Oregon health plan what they gonna cut my medical and except me to pay for it if so there high i can barley afford to go to the docs gas and transportation kill me getting there how the hell am i suppose to pay for medical when i don't even make enough to support my self unless i live with my mother or live in a group home

reply to post by I think Im normal


Children can be insured under their parents policy until 26 years old.

Children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied or dropped from insurance plans.

In about 4 years (not before) you had better get yourself some kind of insurance or else the government is going to make sure you have it - if they have to charge you to pay for it.

This makes costs lower for everyone and is the only way the insurance companies can offer lower cost plans to all.

Originally posted by xenchan`
whats this do to people like me im on mental disability and have medicare and my states medical the Oregon health plan what they gonna cut my medical and except me to pay for it if so there high i can barley afford to go to the docs gas and transportation kill me getting there how the hell am i suppose to pay for medical when i don't even make enough to support my self unless i live with my mother or live in a group home

You will benefit immediately. You will get to see a regular doctor and head off any future problems you may have.

The thing I never like about it is the eagerness of Congress to push it through.
It's almost as if they were seeing a big pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. $$$$$
All the pimping and prostituting finally paid off for them but WE will be the ones getting screwed by this monster because the tenticles of this thing will eventually reach out and touch us all, it was designed that way.
Give it time.

Originally posted by rusethorcain

You will benefit immediately. You will get to see a regular doctor and head off any future problems you may have.

You may be correct BUT one thing one thing proponents of this thing are not taking into consideration is the availability that all current healthcare providers will still be around when this thing is in full gear.

Something tells me that a great number of health care professionals will decide to retire as a result of this Health Carelessless bill illegally passing.

Originally posted by Alxandro

Originally posted by rusethorcain

You will benefit immediately. You will get to see a regular doctor and head off any future problems you may have.

You may be correct BUT one thing one thing proponents of this thing are not taking into consideration is the availability that all current healthcare providers will still be around when this thing is in full gear.

Something tells me that a great number of health care professionals will decide to retire as a result of this Health Carelessless bill illegally passing.

What was illegal about it? From what I gather they did not have to use the "deem and pass" strategy. The bill they approved HR. 3590 is the senate version and they have another (The Reconciliation Act of 2010) still pending that has a bunch of amendments to it.

Did somebody say that this is possibly a way to make money?

If medical conditions are handled before something drastic happens, wouldn't you go to a doc if you didn't have to pay out of pocket just to see if you were or weren't sick? This sounds like preventative medicine and thereby you could ask your doctor to perform all sorts of tests on yourself, food allergy, hypnosis for weight loss, self-esteem workshop, where does health end, not only in the physiology, but other areas too, right. I mean, it sounds like you would pay out of taxes, not pocket, no?

If this is a way for the united states to get out of debt ? It sounds like maybe it is a way out of debt for the usa. If anyone can see a doctor, therefore, the us will get out of debt. Still sounds too good to be true..

reply to post by rogerstigers



Ok, if it were 100% legally kosher, why are so many states prepared to challenge the passage of this so pseudo bill.

Attorneys general in 11 states poised to challenge healthcare bill