This morning, millions of Americans gained access to more stable and comprehensive health insurance, thanks to important provisions of the new health reform law -- also known as the Affordable Care Act -- that take effect today. These changes could not have come soon enough. New census data show that a record-breaking 50.7 million Americans -- from all income levels, but many of them firmly in the middle-class -- lacked health insurance in 2009. That's a spike of over 4 million in one year, driven by a recession that has left millions without jobs. Last year, nearly 7 million people lost insurance they had previously obtained through an employer.
The reform provisions that go into effect today will bring coverage, financial relief and health security to many, and will also impose important new rules on the insurance industry to prevent future abuses.
As of today, young adults up to age 26 will have the option to enroll in a parent's health plan. Young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 are one of the largest segments of the uninsured; 13.7 million lacked coverage in 2008. Young adults often lose coverage when they age out of their parents' coverage upon graduating from high school or college, or when they become ineligible for public programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program at age 19. In 2014, they will also be able to gain coverage under Medicaid expansion or through state health insurance exchanges with subsidized coverage for people will low or moderate incomes. One million young adults (and their parents) are likely to take advantage of these important changes.
As of today, insurers can no longer place lifetime limits on benefits, and annual limits are severely curtailed. More than 100 million people currently have lifetime limits on the amount that their health insurance will pay, and 18 million have annual limits.
As of today, insurers can no longer retroactively cancel, or rescind, coverage. In what often becomes a nightmare scenario for ill patients and their families, more than 10,000 people each year have their coverage rescinded -- frequently just at the moment they need the coverage the most. Rescissions are no longer allowed.
As of today, there are new options for as many as 400,000 people with preexisting health conditions, who will immediately be able to enroll in new state-based insurance plans, and for the parents of thousands of children with preexisting conditions, who can no longer be denied health insurance for these youngsters.
Medicare beneficiaries who hit the prescription drug coverage gap or "doughnut hole" this year have already begun receiving $250 rebates. And, as of today, Medicare will eliminate cost-sharing for preventive care, and will provide for an annual wellness visit with no copayment. Next year, Medicare will provide a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs to Medicare Part D enrollees who spend enough on prescription drugs to enter the doughnut hole. And additional discounts on brand-name and generic drugs will be phased in to completely close the doughnut hole for all Part D enrollees by 2020.
A new era in American health care begins today, one that will usher in a new found health and economic security for millions who have struggled too long. But even with all the relief that will come starting today, the record losses in coverage experienced by millions of middle-income families point to the need to accelerate implementation of health reform to provide help faster. This is not the time to be talking about repealing health reform. It is urgently needed. The nation cannot afford to ignore the plight of millions of Americans whose health is at risk, and whose health and productivity are key to revitalizing the American economy.
Alison Rose Levy: Health in America: 4 Human Beliefs That Enable Harmful Health Policies
David Nichtern: Health Care and the Mandate for Compassion
Oh, and while you're breaking your arm while patting yourself on the back, maybe you could stop and provide a comprehensive analysis of how many more people this will make health care available to, versus how many are now unable to partake of the oh-so-graciously provided privilege to purchase health insurance from people we couldn't afford to purchase it from in the first place, because THERE ARE NO JOBS FOR THEM TO USE IN PAYING FOR IT?
Who want's to bet that the former numbers are either negated, or even ECLIPSED by the latter entirely?
And now Obama and the Dims want us to allow them to keep their cushy jobs, and yes, single payer health care that apparently only they are good enough to get? HA!
The Emperor has no clothes.
folks either have insurance, can afford it or are just plain dumb. I think the last is the majority.
And finally, you do realize that because of those failures, among others, the insurance cartels won't offer a plan cover your grandchildren at all so that they can get around the prohibition against denying coverage for pre-existing conditions? That they'll try and find a way to get around offering YOU coverage if they can, because they have no competition for you to go to because the law says you HAVE to go through them?
Be grateful if you like, but don't be willfully blind. Don't settle for crumbs. Loudly ask questions like: If all our worthless politicians get single payer, universal health care for themselves and their families, why can't I?
That's why. Because he's utterly failed to lead. The votes were not there, because he made no real effort to generate them. You may not like it. Hell, I don't like it. But that's the way it went down. Please try not to spout White House talking points if you don't understand what kind of corruption it's meant to cover for.
i must say obama did cover his fan base the best the insurance companies.