8.06.2009

Making it clear: Case 1

President Barack Obama has made it clear how "healthcare consumers would be treated better by insurance companies if reform efforts pass." To-wit:

1) Insurance companies would be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history – “pre-existing conditions.”
2) Insurance companies would be barred from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become ill.
3) Insurance companies will no longer be able to charge exorbitant out-of pocket expenses.
4) Insurance companies cannot impose lifetime or annual caps on coverage.
5) Insurance companies will be "required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full."
6) Insurance companies "must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics."

SOURCE: The Progress Report, Center for American Progress, 3 August 2009: LINK

6 comments:

Ranch Chimp said...

That is a positive step forward.But it is a shame that our President actually has to use legislation to get these jerk's to give us the basic's they should have been giving us...like all the above...just as a basic courtesy to it's customer's..that isnt even good business policy the way they been doing people. Insurance companies in this country to the average working class customer has been nothing more than a racket of corruption,where they been able to do too much for too long without facing any penalty or consequence for their action's. And personally I like the whole health care system nationalized or socialized or whatever they want to call it.This crap we pay for is junk...especially these HMO plan's was another scam...this is so deep I cant get into it here.

Thank You Ms.DemWit....

Sue said...

mornin BJ,
would you say, in a nut-shell, this list is what Democrats want because we put people and their needs first,

and the Republicans gag at this list because they put corporations and profits before the peoples needs. This list says insurance companies profits won't be as huge as in the past but surely they will survive.

BJ, I am appalled at the right and their way of thinking, we must push forward because there is no changing the mind-set of lunatics!

Falzone for America said...

Fight the Smears. Here are the facts.
Anyone can verify them by reading the bill at http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text

Actual itemized contents of the Health Care Reform Bill: This is only a small portion of the message as the comment section of Blogger only allow 4,000 characters. Ask BJ or Me to send you the entire message if you would like.

"Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!"

TRUTH: This is not an "audit," it's a study. Moreover, the bill states (pp. 22-23) that the report will "include any recommendations the Commissioner deems appropriate to ensure that the law does not provide incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure or create adverse selection in the risk pools of large group insurers and self-insured employers." This is almost directly the opposite of the email's claim.

"Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!"

TRUTH: Page 29 continues to define the "essential benefits package" and discusses limits on what Americans will have to spend on health care under this minimum standard. In no way does this section stipulate the rationing of care.

"Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)"

TRUTH: Page 30 begins to describe the Health Benefits Advisory Committee which establishes certain minimum standards for health insurance plans. In no way does this committee deny treatments and benefits to Americans with health insurance.

"Page 42: The 'Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None."

TRUTH: Page 42 begins to describe the Health Choices Commissioner's duties. The idea that this person will decide what benefits Americans receive is patently false, given that most Americans will keep their current plans under reform, and Americans within the exchange will have the choice of purchasing many different kinds of health plans. Rather, the Commissioner will establish minimum standards to protect Americans.

"Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services."

TRUTH: Pages 50-51 contain a provision stating that discrimination will not be allowed in the provision of health care services. Nowhere does the bill state that non-US citizens will be provided free health care services. The bill prohibits federal dollars from being used for undocumented immigrants.

"Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard."

TRUTH: Page 58, in the context of a discussion of administrative standards, mentions that "determination of an individual's financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility...may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card." In no way does the bill state that such a card would be national, or that it would be issued to every person, or that it would, in fact, be used at all.

"Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer."

TRUTH: Page 59 continues the discussion of administrative standards, and authorizes electronic transfers of money within the government. In no way does this provision grant the government access to individual bank accounts.

"Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)"

TRUTH: Here's what page 65 says: "Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a temporary reinsurance program to provide reimbursement to assist participating employment-based plans with the cost of providing health benefits to retirees and to eligible spouses, surviving spouses and dependents of such retirees." No mention is made of unions or community organizations.

Tiny said...

Thanks, BJ. Most people need a simplified version due to the way most legislation is written.

Wasn't GOPers "Mandated Sex Change Surgeries" a real desperate grab at straws? Now that was scraping the bottom of the crap barrel for that one!

Hopefully the supporters of health care reform can out maneuver the desperate GOP corporate screamers to rid people of the fearmongers hawkings.

People will have more coverage with single payer health care than the bean counters sitting in private insurance companies allow. Bean counters have aabout an 8th grade level of education.

Everyone will have to push back the hysterical screamers at every step of the way of winning the health care justice for all.

B.J. said...

Looking at the points in the post, I’ll just share a brief personal experience. I had surgery in 1987. My husband taught in the public school system, and we were both covered by Blue Cross-Blue Shield. The hospital sent me the total bill and said the insurance company rejected the claim. I called the hospital business office and was told, “Oh, Blue Cross rejects all claims on the first submission. I’ll just resubmit it.” HUH??? She resubmitted, and the insurance paid. I suppose it’s a good thing I called.

BJ

Frodo, spittin' nails said...

Almost every day now Frodo finds himself silently mouthing the words of President Kennedy,as he set our course for the Moon. There are still those who believe it was all fake, and they are heavily represented among those who seem to say or do anything that makes this, our noble struggle, even more difficult. Because we do not have "the best healthcare system in the world," Frodo wants to call them all racists and liars, but he will not. He merely stands with the Fellowship, and mouths the words of Sir Winston Churchill, "We will never give up."