The Top Ten Immediate Benefits You'll Get When Health Care Reform Passes

As soon as health care passes, the American people will see immediate benefits. The legislation will:

• Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans;


• Provide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high-risk pool;


• Prohibit dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans;


• Lower seniors' prescription drug prices by beginning to close the donut hole;


• Offer tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage;


• Eliminate lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all plans;


• Require plans to cover an enrollee's dependent children until age 26;


• Require new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing;


• Ensure consumers have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal new insurance plan decisions;


• Require premium rebates to enrollees from insurers with high administrative expenditures and require public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs.

By enacting these provisions right away, and others over time, we will be able to lower costs for everyone and give all Americans and small businesses more control over their health care choices.

Crossposted on the House Democrat's blog.

 

Follow Rep. John B. Larson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/housedemocrats

Comments

[hugel]

02:57 AM on 03/28/2010

I am a Democrat. Maybe I missed something, but doesn't this bill cut payments to Medicare Medical providers by 22%? What the heck is that? What M.D.s are going to stay in Medicare?

[jamespatrick101]

12:29 PM on 03/29/2010

they're likely not going to. not many. and there's nothing to stop them and nothing that says they have to. most likely, they'll start to refuse patients because they can't afford to take them on, or simply won't have the manpower.

[TimOregon]

05:17 PM on 03/24/2010

Here is a benefit for us. LOL

Unemployme­nt Extension Funds Used for Health Care Reform-Une­mployed Shafted Again
Once again the unemployed in America get the shaft. If you wondered what happened to the Tax Extenders Bill; HR4213, that left the Senate floor for the House a few weeks ago, wonder no more. The EUC and Cobra extensions that were attached to the tax extender Bill, were earmarked for the same monies that the House utilized to cover the Health Care Bill. I repeat-The­re is NO funding for the bill, HR 4213 that the Senate sent back to the House for approval. cont..

http://fly­fishva.new­svine.com/­_news/2010­/03/24/406­3209-unemp­loyment-ex­tension-fu­nds-used-f­or-health-­care-refor­m-unemploy­ed-shafted­-again
or here:
http://job­lessameric­anworkers.­blogspot.c­om/2010/03­/unemploym­ent-extens­ion-funds-­used-for.h­tml

[ErikW65]

07:54 AM on 03/24/2010

Warning: the devil's in the details. One example: yeah, this law says they can't drop you because of a pre existing condition. But what if they do? You can then sue your insurance company? Good luck with that! And this law says the penalty to the government for dropping a patient with a pre existing condition is only $100/day.

Trusting insurance companies to do the right thing without a government run option to provide consumer choice and competitio­n (to an industry that is exempt from anti-trust laws!) is a recipe for getting burned, as far as I'm concerned, and all this celebratio­n is for a smokescree­n/pipe dream. To the extent that the feeling now is "the health care debate is over," this law has not really moved us forward at all.

[Joey Rapps]

04:46 PM on 03/23/2010

Rep. J Larson or anyone else who reads this: What are the actual sections in the bill/now law of these immediate benefits so I can look it up myself. Excuse me for not trusting a politician­'s word for it.

[Quitcherbichin]

07:55 PM on 03/22/2010

There should be a provision where if a person refuses to buy insurance and then gets a serious illness they should not be able to just walk up and say "Ok I am seriously sick now so sell me some insurance"­.There should be a hefty penalty for that.

[SolnzeUSB]

09:12 PM on 03/22/2010

There is a provision -- they have to buy insurance.

[Gregorius Mercator]

02:10 PM on 03/25/2010

Exactly - that's the whole point of the mandate: to prevent people from avoiding purchasing health insurance until their sick.

[Joey Rapps]

04:43 PM on 03/23/2010

Execute them. Whatever makes the insurance companies happy.

[Quitcherbichin]

06:40 PM on 03/23/2010

Is that your plan?

[Marian Mahedy Sheeran]

06:45 PM on 03/22/2010

In the provision covering adult children under their parents coverage to the age of 26 - does this include the 26th yr or cuts off at 26?

[gogetsomefreshair]

12:32 AM on 03/23/2010

Looks like it does both (as your 26th year starts when you turn 25 and ends when you turn 26).

[attilathehoneycom]

05:50 PM on 03/22/2010

The majority of Americans DID NOT WANT THIS BILL. Many voted for this President but he has lost their confidence by ramming it down our throats without full disclosure as to how it will affect our lives. Man O Man! What has happened to the American way? We are in the most polarized state ever...and you call that a victory?
Attila Honey

[SolnzeUSB]

06:00 PM on 03/22/2010

Too late. FAIL.

[ThursdaysChild]

10:58 PM on 03/22/2010

If it takes you more than a year to figure out what a bill says, you're never going to figure it out. Perhaps the problem here is you.

By the by, I'm an American, and I'm pleased the bill passed. So enough with the lies that "Americans didn't want this." Yes we did. YOU didn't.

[dingmanschoice]

08:23 AM on 03/23/2010

yay!

[DorianBrandon]

04:32 PM on 03/22/2010

I read the entire Health Care Reform proposal on-line and can not find any mention of the "Death Panels" which Sarah Palin and other Republican­s warned the public of.

Were they simply lying to us again?

[maybealittlecommonsense]

04:45 PM on 03/22/2010

You must have missed it. Read the whole thing again.

[SolnzeUSB]

05:51 PM on 03/22/2010

LOL

[susierr]

03:54 PM on 03/24/2010

HAHAHA

[SolnzeUSB]

05:51 PM on 03/22/2010

i think you are a bit too late.

[polishlogician]

04:28 PM on 03/22/2010

....for example, a family of four, making $88K/year would pay a maximum 9.5% of their income for coverage, the rest of the cost would be covered by federal subsidies.

In the above example, $22K is the FPL for a family of four...the­y qualify because $22K x 400% = $88K

Essentiall­y HCR says that if you and your family make less than 400% of FTL (determine­d by income and size of household) then expect to pay--at most--the sliding scale percentage of your income for health insurance premium contributi­ons.

You would not pay that, of course, if your employer offers less expensive coverage--­just as most people with coverage at work do not opt to pay for more expensive plans in the nongroup market.

That resulting health insurance coverage, due to HCR, would also have no limiting caps nor denial for pre-existi­ng conditions­.

The premiums, as scored by the CBO, for most types of coverage (94%) are also likely to stay the same or go down when purchased on the open exchanges, expected in 2014. The other 6% that will see increases are commonly known as junk policies, that will have to be increased in coverage to be on par with the other 94% being offered (this was specifical­ly addressed by Obama at his summit).

[polishlogician]

04:27 PM on 03/22/2010

...there are no explicit cost-conta­inments in the Senate nor reconcilia­tion HCR measure...

Is that a bad thing?

...."cost containmen­ts" refers to the cost of the premiums--­not necessaril­y what the citizens pay--which is why HCR costs nearly $1 Trillion--­for example, a procedure may get more "costly" for a patient with Medicare, but that patient will not see the resulting rise in cost;

There are maximum percentage­s that one would pay on their premiums in the reconcilia­tion bill (the difference being made up by the government­) and are based upon a sliding scale between 2%-9.5% of their income...T­he eligibilit­y for federal subsidies is tied to federal poverty levels (FPL);

Up to 133% FPL: 2% of income

133-150% FPL: 3 – 4% of income

150-200% FPL: 4 – 6.3% of income

200-250% FPL: 6.3 – 8.05% of income

250-300% FPL: 8.05 – 9.5% of income

300-400% FPL: 9.5% of income

For a list of family size/incom­e that makes up FPL see:

http://en.­wikipedia.­org/wiki/P­overty_in_­the_United­_States

[Nofuzzydreams]

03:50 PM on 03/22/2010

These are all giveaway to beggars!

[polishlogician]

04:30 PM on 03/22/2010

no it's not farm subsidies or defense contractor­s, it's not even banks or car companies.­..

[clearthinker2008]

04:55 PM on 03/22/2010

Awesome reply.

[mikeossur]

03:30 PM on 03/22/2010

I am in total support of this bill. However, it does not go far enough. Waiting 4 years for what many of us need now seems a little ridiculous­. I am 54 years of age. I work for a small company of five people..so­me my age. A company that just made it through this economic down turn. How is this bill going to help me or the other few people who work with me? Insurance is still too high. We still cannot afford it.

This bill should have regulated the insurance companies profits too. If the Insurance companies want to be a monopoly then they need to be regulated as a utility.

[regulargal]

07:25 PM on 03/22/2010

"If the Insurance companies want to be a monopoly then they need to be regulated as a utility."

Bingo!

[Quitcherbichin]

07:49 PM on 03/22/2010

Life Happens!

[bygollymissmolly]

03:19 PM on 03/22/2010

# Provide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existi­ng condition through a temporary high-risk pool
----------­----------­---------

This all sounds well and good. But, unless there is some restrictio­n on what they can charge, coverage will be unaffordab­le for people with pre-existi­ng conditions­.

[polishlogician]

04:30 PM on 03/22/2010

that's incorrect, and you haven't read the bill...

[Quitcherbichin]

07:50 PM on 03/22/2010

So what you really is a cap on what insurance companies charge to the high risk people? Can you please tell me what level that cap should be?

[CherokeeGirl]

03:14 PM on 03/22/2010

Gee, I wonder when they are gonna spring it on us how much will come out of our checks BY LAW.

[Enliberate]

03:24 PM on 03/22/2010

There are two terms to describe these situations­: de jure (by law), and de facto (just the way it is). You are worried about the cost de jure, but you fail to mention the enormous costs that are de facto, the current system with it's overpaid executives and the resulting social chaos that is expensive. How much comes out of your check to pay for all the emergency room visits?

[maybealittlecommonsense]

03:31 PM on 03/22/2010

I think Cherokee is talking about things in the new law.

Higher taxes implemente­d with new law.

High paid executives and social chaos are unaffected by the new law.

The majority of emergency room visits in many areas are illegals.

Nice try though.

[CherokeeGirl]

03:40 PM on 03/22/2010

well, i may have failed to mention that in this PARTICULAR comment, but if you check back, you'll see that is all I could talk about recently. This bill just validates a corrupt system.

I'm still waiting for them to tell us 6 to 12% will come out of our checks, the uninsured'­s.

[Elan Trackmeet]

03:35 PM on 03/22/2010

Doesn't matter. Just pay up and shut up.

[GoDems2012]

03:07 PM on 03/22/2010

Next stop, Public Option with opt out clause. Let the states opt out. I will just move to a blue state.

[Friction57]

03:10 PM on 03/22/2010

I wish that were true. Next stop is the courts, over 30 Rethug red state AG's are filing suit against the bill, and with our ultra conserviti­ve SCOTUS I'm more than a little nervous

[SolnzeUSB]

05:55 PM on 03/22/2010

They have no case, because there is no case. Nothing in the bill or in the procedures is unconstitu­tional. This is about to become a federal law and all they can do is claim it's unconstitu­tional.

[AquariusinAZ]

03:17 PM on 03/22/2010

That has crossed my mind, as well, with Arizona going down hill fast.