Health Care Repeal
This week, House Republicans are bringing a bill to the floor which would repeal the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, the landmark 2010 health care reform law sometimes referred to as ObamaCare. Despite a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the law, many in Congress are dead set on repealing it. Americans are already benefitting from consumer protections included in the law, and millions more will see benefits in 2014 when additional provisions kick in. Despite an abundance of political rhetoric, there has been less focus on the substance of this reform. I think my constituents have a right to know exactly what this law does—and what it doesn't do—and to decide how they feel about it on that basis.
What’s really in “ObamaCare”?
- Young adults can remain on their parent’s health insurance plans until they turn 26.
- Significant discounts on brand-name and generic drugs for seniors, closing the Medicare “donut hole”.
- Insurance companies can no longer put lifetime caps on benefits, protecting people with cancer and other chronic diseases.
- $11 billion in new funding for Community Health Centers, to provide care in rural and underserved areas.
- New investments in primary care, nursing & public health training programs.
- Free preventive care.
- Free immunizations.
- Tightly restricts annual limits on insurance coverage and completely eliminates them by 2014.
- Small-group plans must spend at least 80% of premiums on health care. For large-group plans, that requirement is 85%.
- High Risk pools, created to offer immediate insurance for people dropped from their prior plans because of a pre-existing condition.
Plus, beginning in 2014:
- Exchanges open – The exchanges will provide a transparent, trustworthy marketplace in which to shop for health insurance, helping you find the insurance plan that is right for your family, and your budget.
- Tax credits – Families making up to 400% of the federal poverty level ($92,200 for a family of four in 2012) will receive tax credits to help them purchase insurance. The goal of this reform was to get people insured, not by forcing them to buy coverage that they cannot afford but by giving them affordable options. These tax credits—offered on a sliding scale based on each family’s resources—are an important component of that.
- An end to “pre-existing conditions” – No private plan can deny an adult coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition. (A similar ban, specific to children, went into effect in 2010).
- Ban higher premiums for women – The common practice of charging women more for insurance, simply because of their gender, is specifically forbidden by the law.
- A cap on out-of-pocket expenses for private plans – Rising out of pocket costs have placed a significant burden on many Americans. Putting a clear limit on the amount an insurer can require you to contribute towards your own care will help individuals and families to better plan for these expenses.
For more information:
Visit http://www.healthcare.gov/