Health Care Reform Immediate Benefits

Barack Obama signed the new Health Care Reform bill into law today. The Senate still needs to amend the bill through reconciliation.

Many are wondering what this bill will really do for them personally. Well there are many parts of the bill that are effective right away. The more Americans see this bill for what it is, the greater the difficulty the GOP will have not only lying about the bill, but campaigning on repealing it.

Can you see the Republicans telling their Tea Bagger allies,

“We want to exclude your children from being insured. We want to allow insurance companies to kick you off their coverage if you get sick. We want to take back the ability of insurance companies to raise rates as much as they want, whenever they want. Who’s with me?!!!”. <proverbial crickets…>

Here’s what the bill really does.  The fact that anyone except for insurance company CEO’s would oppose this is mind-boggling, and shows that people can still be brain-washed by politicians pushing the right buttons and engendering fear in their constituents.  Which of these benefits represents a government take-over of health care?  You decide.  Here are some of the items in the list courtesy of the Huffington Post:

Are you uninsured due to a preexisting condition? For now, insurers can continue to discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, but within 90 days the administration must create an “interim high-risk pool” for the uninsurable. The Department of Health and Human Services can run the $5 billion program itself or farm it out to states or non-profits. To be eligible for the program, you have to be a U.S. citizen and uninsured for six months due to a preexisting condition.

Are your kids uninsured due to a preexisting condition? Within six months the law will prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against children with preexisting conditions.

Do you have older kids who will soon “age-out” of your family plan? Young adults will be allowed to stay on their parents’ plans until they turn 26, instead of being dropped at 19 or after college.

Are you a small-business owner? The bill offers tax credits — up to 35 percent the cost of premiums — to small businesses to make it easier to cover employees this year.

Are you paying for drugs in the “doughnut hole”? The law should begin to close the hole, which refers to a costly gap in Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, this year by offering a $250 rebate.

Have you been dropped by your insurer because you got sick? Six months from now, insurers will no longer be allowed to drop policy-holders when they get sick.

SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDITS

Offers tax credits to small businesses to make employee coverage more affordable. Tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums will be immediately available to firms that choose to offer coverage. Effective beginning for calendar year 2010. (Beginning in 2014, the small business tax credits will cover 50 percent of premiums.)

BEGINS TO CLOSE THE MEDICARE PART D DONUT HOLE

Provides a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who hit the donut hole in 2010. Effective for calendar year 2010. (Beginning in 2011, institutes a 50% discount on brand-name drugs in the donut hole; also completely closes the donut hole by 2020.)

FREE PREVENTIVE CARE UNDER MEDICARE

Eliminates co-payments for preventive services and exempts preventive services from deductibles under the Medicare program. Effective beginning January 1, 2011.

HELP FOR EARLY RETIREES

Creates a temporary re-insurance program (until the Exchanges are available) to help offset the costs of expensive health claims for employers that provide health benefits for retirees age 55-64. Effective 90 days after enactment

ENDS RESCISSIONS

Bans insurance companies from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Effective 6 months after enactment.

NO DISCRIMINATON AGAINST CHILDREN WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS

Prohibits health insurers from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Effective 6 months after enactment. (Beginning in 2014, this prohibition would apply to all persons.)

BANS LIFETIME LIMITS ON COVERAGE

Prohibits health insurance companies from placing lifetime caps on coverage. Effective 6 months after enactment.

BANS RESTRICTIVE ANNUAL LIMITS ON COVERAGE

Tightly restricts new plans’ use of annual limits to ensure access to needed care. These tight restrictions will be defined by HHS. Effective 6 months after enactment. (Beginning in 2014, the use of any annual limits would be prohibited for all plans.)

FREE PREVENTIVE CARE UNDER NEW PRIVATE PLANS

Requires new private plans to cover preventive services with no co-payments and with preventive services being exempt from deductibles. Effective 6 months after enactment. (Beginning in 2018, this requirement applies to all plans.)

NEW, INDEPENDENT APPEALS PROCESS

Ensures consumers in new plans have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal decisions by their health insurance plan. Effective 6 months after enactment.

ENSURING VALUE FOR PREMIUM PAYMENTS

Requires plans in the individual and small group market to spend 80 percent of premium dollars on medical services, and plans in the large group market to spend 85 percent. Insurers that do not meet these thresholds must provide rebates to policy-holders. Effective on January 1, 2011.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR THE UNINSURED UNTIL EXCHANGE IS AVAILABLE (INTERIM HIGH-RISK POOL)

Provides immediate access to insurance for Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition – through a temporary high-risk pool. Effective 90 days after enactment.

EXTENDS COVERAGE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE UP TO 26TH BIRTHDAY THROUGH PARENTS’ INSURANCE

Requires health plans to allow young people up to their 26th birthday to remain on their parents’ insurance policy, at the parents’ choice. Effective 6 months after enactment.

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

Increases funding for Community Health Centers to allow for nearly a doubling of the number of patients seen by the centers over the next 5 years. Effective beginning in fiscal year 2010.

INCREASING NUMBER OF PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS

Provides new investment in training programs to increase the number of primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals. Effective beginning in fiscal year 2010.

PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SALARY

Prohibits new group health plans from establishing any eligibility rules for health care coverage that have the effect of discriminating in favor of higher wage employees. Effective 6 months after enactment.

HEALTH INSURANCE CONSUMER INFORMATION

Provides aid to states in establishing offices of health insurance consumer assistance in order to help individuals with the filing of complaints and appeals. Effective beginning in FY 2010.

CREATES NEW, VOLUNTARY, PUBLIC LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE PROGRAM

Creates a long-term care insurance program to be financed by voluntary payroll deductions to provide benefits to adults who become functionally disabled. Effective on January 1, 2011.

Health Insurance Reform Immediate Benefits.

The nightmare scenario for the Republicans is that as people learn that this bill is good for them, they are going to realize that they were lied to and manipulated by the GOP for the sake of insurance corporations. They are going to turn on the Republicans, and as one, rise up with the battle cry of Joe Wilson, shouting, “You lie!!!”.