Healthcare Reform

Obama's health care plan affects all Americans.

The elderly:

The health care plan cuts medicare funding.

Religious Employers:

The health care plan requires that all work providers provide abortion coverage to all their employees.

Middle age Americans:

Although they are allowed to remain on their parent's health care plan until the age of 26, after that these Americans, who normally don't need health insurance are required to purchase health insurance or pay a fine.

Employees:

More employees will be forced to work part time because all full time employees of larger companies will need to be covered under a health care plan, generally not as good as the ones they currently are on.

Everyone:

Health care insurance prices are expected (and are) sky rocketing.

A DIFFERING OPINION AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

See the related links for links to simple explanations of the health care plan and how it may affect you. You must get information about this from official sources, not just hearsay, much of that is being fed by political spinners and lobbyists.

The overwhelming majority of Americans will be helped by health care reform under President Obama's plans, as long as Congress leaves it alone. The plan will not work if only partially implemented. Some of the spending and saving aspects and provisions are for the benefit of the people, but the pharmaceutical companies, large provider networks and insurance companies will be (and currently are) lobbying Congress to implement some of the changes and not others that would reduce their staggering profits.

Changes to some sections will make the plan not work if "counter part" sections are left in at the same time. Those who are trying to make changes at this point in time probably have that in mind to make it so it can't work.

How ironic this type of statement is when given in support of not implementing the plan as designed: "The health care plan cuts medicare funding." If you take a look around the very people, who are currently (March 2013) talking about a need to reduce funding and benefits in Medicare, are the same ones who used to spread fear to seniors that their benefits may be reduced by Democrats. Now there seems to be a flip flop.

A health care plan for all US citizens regardless of age should be provided and funded as Medicare is currently funded, i.e., by workers during their healthy years so they have benefits in their later years or if they suffer disability. We are not given a hand out when we use our Medicare benefits, we are getting healthcare for which we have prepaid. We worked years to qualify for and to pay for these benefits. We have already been paying for this and if money from the social security fund had not been taken by Congress to pay for the unnecessary war costs, it would be still fully funded as needed for no interruption or reductions in benefits. THIS is one of the profoundly wrong parts of what is happening in Congress related to health care.

A lack of healthcare services, esp preventive services, due to having no insurance coverage has been an increasing problem in the US. This is true especially of the middle class families and those in poverty without current access to any healthcare. They go without care. This results in 45,000 deaths of Americans a year from having no insurance. They and their families would call it much more "hurtful" if we were to continue allowing that. These deaths are preventable.

Few will be "hurt" by reform, especially if you consider those 45,000 a year! Some changes may make it so some providers must accept less for caring for patients. Frankly, many providers (especially hospitals) are currently overpaid and overcharge and that is pushing our health care costs up. Fraud is a problem that can be addressed to save $ and that is part of the reform plan. More fair taxes for corporations like insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and healthcare providers could go a long way toward solving some revenue problems. Rid the loop holes. For example, how can large hospital organizations be non-profit organizations if they charge $7 for an aspirin? They "get us" as we go in the front door and again at the back door when they are taxed as non-profit while profiting.

So, these groups are the ones you will likely hear saying how it will hurt the people. But, no, it will actually help the majority of people, and only hurt those who have been taking unfairly from the funds for years...the same organizations and industries that are funding the lobbying to stop this bill.

Re: "The health care plan requires that all work providers provide abortion coverage to all their employees"

NO. FEDERAL FUNDING OF ABORTION IS ALREADY PROHIBITED UNDER LONG STANDING CURRENT LAWS AND THAT IS NOT CHANGING. Also, not every employer will be required to offer health plans to employees. This is a good reason why health care reform and provision of coverage by the federal government is necessary. The way it is now is not working and the employers who will be required to offer health benefits are mostly all having record profits year after year after year while our salaries are stagnant and benefits no longer exist.

Re: "Middle age Americans:

Although they are allowed to remain on their parent's health care plan until the age of 26, after that these Americans, who normally don't need health insurance are required to purchase health insurance or pay a fine."

PREVENTIVE CARE IS NEEDED BY EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF AGE. Everyone needs comprehensive coverage against severe disease or disability and hospitalization costs. It is unpredictable when we may be the ones who are stricken. We manage this risk not by gambling on our health and ability to avoid injury. We manage it by purchasing insurance. If we are young and statistics say we won't likely use the plan much, then the rates may lower for them, these are some of the things that having insurance companies compete will help us afford more and better care. (And since it digs into their profits, those insurance companies don't want to have to lower rates due to competition, which they don't currently have. Again expect lobbyists to squawk).

Here is how health insurance works. You are at risk for getting sick or hurt at any time. If you are young and healthy you buy insurance plans that actuarial experts have determined the insurance company can make money selling (after any health costs incurred are paid). They price the plans accordingly. They, like us, can't control when their clients will need services. If they never do need them, the insurance company makes money. If some need a little care, the amount they have paid in premiums over the year will more than cover that care and the insurance company makes money. If one person has a catastrophic illness then the money saved up from not having to pay for care for the healthy young people in most cases, can be used to cover the catastrophic costs from the providers...and the insurance company makes money. This pooling of money is the best and most conservative way to fairly fund the unpredictable needs for our individual healthcare. Those people currently getting Medicare coverage had to work jobs to qualify for years and years and had to pay in advance from each pay check for the Medicare coverage they are now using. They aren't taking a thing!

If the young (and usually, but not always), healthy people took the gamble and didn't buy coverage, they could wait until they get sick and buy insurance right then, saving all those prepayments that they would have had with premiums if they had not gambled. Now when they are sick, they are going to draw from the pool without having put anything in. Not fair. In the past insurance companies dealt with this by having the "pre-existing condition clause" in the plan contracts. These said, if you come get insurance from us and you have a current disorder and are needing treatment right now, we don't start paying for it for a year so we can get the premiums for at least a year to add to the pool before you can start taking any out. That way, you aren't able to gamble with our pooled money and get away without having to pay your share. But, sometimes people get critical coverage denied due to that clause, and it can actually allow them to die without care. This is why the pre-existing clause was determined to be a bad method to use to deal with the problem of some people gambling and waiting until they get sick to buy insurance. So, the reform plan says the insurance companies HAVE to cover those insured without a pre-existing clause now. The insurance companies said we can't afford the risk and costs of that and will have to raise prices. The solution was requiring everyone to pay into the pool whether they are currently sick or not and then coverage starts as soon as you are signed up. If you have not paid your premiums before getting sick, you pay a fine so something from you goes into the pool before you collect benefits with the money of the others in the pool.

This provision was not in the President's original plan that was for a public option like they have in Canada. If everyone is included, the larger the number of people contributing to the pool and the better mix of health statuses they have will make the whole thing more efficient and will cost less for everyone. But the Republicans did not want this "socialist idea" (although not actually anything to do with socialism). So the lobbyists and insurance companies came up with this mandatory contribution plan and the fine as a solution without having universal health care.

Re: "Employees:

More employees will be forced to work part time because all full time employees of larger companies will need to be covered under a health care plan, generally not as good as the ones they currently are on. "

This is a problem that should not have been allowed to have happened. Many companies are treating employees this way to avoid giving fair compensation for the hard work done. Many companies making record profits are doing this. The government should make corporate tax incentives to prevent this, or penalties if this is done to employees to avoid giving fair benefits. We already give out too much of our tax money to "Corporate Wellfare" now as it is. If they are not a struggling small business, they should be required to have more full time employees in respect to the number of part time employees.

Re: "Everyone:

Health care insurance prices are expected (and are) sky rocketing. "

No. Not if the plan as the President designed it is implemented. It should drastically reduce the prices when insurance companies have to compete with each other; they currently don't have to compete across states. That is one of the best parts of the plan.

Yes, most workers and their families have access to public healthcare. There is also a seguro popular (people's insurance) for those who don't earn a fixed wage.

Many people have healthcare as part of their working compensation package but these are just a minority.