Wow, just got through reading the summaries and skimming over the bill. I don't see how this bill will not cost us a LOT more to provide health care. It drastically expands the subsidies to "low-income" people and also expands Medicaid to cover more people. It also removes lifetime caps from all policies! Just some of the benefits that are being added from the government webpage:
* It will end increases in premiums or denials of care based on pre-existing conditions, race, or gender, and strictly limit age rating.
* The proposal will also eliminate co-pays for preventive care, and cap out-of-pocket expensesto protects every American from bankruptcy.
Improving quality of care for every American. The legislation will ensure that Americans of all ages, from young children to retirees have access to greater quality of care by focusing on prevention, wellness, and strengthening programs that work.
* Guarantees that every child in America will have health care coverage that includes dental, hearing and vision benefits.
* Provides better preventive and wellness care. Every health care plan offered through the exchange and by employers after a grace period will cover preventive care at no cost to the patient.
* Increases the health care workforce to ensure that more doctors and nurses are available to provide quality care as more Americans get coverage.
* Strengthens Medicare and Medicaid and closes the Medicare Part D ‘donut hole’ so that seniors and low-income Americans receive better quality of care and see lower prescription drug costs and out-of-pocket expenses.
Even more found elsewhere:
INCREASE DEPENDENT AGE FOR POLICIES THROUGH AGE 26: Allows those through age 26 not otherwise
covered to remain on their parents’ policies at their parents’ discretion.
COBRA EXTENSION: Allows individuals to keep their COBRA coverage until the Exchange is up and running.
[NOTE: This is separate from the Recovery Act provisions that provide premium assistance for selected groups.]
ENSURING RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY FOR CHILDREN: Requires plans to pay for reconstructive surgery for
children with deformities.
Even more:
IIMMPPRROOVVEEDD BBEENNEEFFIITTSS
CREATES REINSURANCE FOR EARLY RETIREES: Creates a new temporary reinsurance program to help offset
the cost of coverage for companies that provide early retiree health benefits for those ages 55-64.
IMMEDIATE HELP FOR THE UNINSURED (INTERIM HIGH-RISK POOL): Creates a $5 billion fund, modeled after
the President’s plan, to finance an immediate, temporary insurance program for those who are uninsurable
because of pre-existing conditions.
NEW LONG-TERM CARE PROGRAM (CLASS ACT): Creates a new, voluntary, public long-term care insurance
program to help purchase services and supports for people who have functional limitations. Benefits are a
daily or weekly cash benefit to help people with functional limitations purchase the services and supports
needed to maintain personal and financial independence. CLASS would supplement, not supplant, traditional
payers of long-term care (e.g. Medicaid and/or private long term care insurance).
PPUUBBLLIICC HHEEAALLTTHH IIMMPPRROOVVEEMMEENNTTSS
INCREASES FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS: Provides increased funding for community health
centers that will allow them to double the number of patients served over the next five years.
IMPLEMENTS NEW PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM IN COMMUNITIES: Provides immediate
funding for preventive services at the community and local level to address public health problems such as
obesity, tobacco use, and diabetes.
EXPANDS PRIMARY CARE, NURSING AND PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE: Increases access to primary care by
sustaining the current efforts to increase the size of the National Health Service Corps. Primary care and nurse
training programs are also immediately expanded to increase the size of the primary care and nursing
workforce. Ensures that public health challenges are adequately addressed.
EMPLOYER WELLNESS PROGRAMS: Establishes a grant program for employers to promote healthy behaviors
among their employees.
And even more!!!!
BEGINS TO FILL IN THE MEDICARE PART D DRUG DONUT HOLE: Provides for a 50% discount on brand-name
drugs in the Part D donut hole, and immediately shrinks the size of the donut hole by $500 in 2010. The donut
hole continues to be narrowed over the coming years until it is fully eliminated by 2019.
ALLOWS STATES TO COVER LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS WITH HIV: Gives States the option of extending
Medicaid coverage to HIV-positive individuals and provides enhanced federal matching payments for the costs
of care.
INCREASES REIMBURSEMENT FOR PRIMARY CARE IN MEDICAID: Brings reimbursement for primary care
services in Medicaid up to Medicare levels with 100% federal funding (phased in over several years).
PROVIDES FOR 12-MONTH CONTINUOUS ELIGIBILITY IN CHIP: Provides continuity of care for children by
requiring that states provide 12-month continuous eligibility for children in the CHIP program
ELIMINATES BARRIERS TO ENROLLMENT IN MEDICARE LOW-INCOME SUBSIDY FOR PART D DRUG
PROGRAM: Eases burdens on enrollment so more low-income beneficiaries can get the financial help they
need to make health care affordable.
NEW PROTECTIONS IN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE: Limits cost-sharing for services in Medicare Advantage plans
to no more than cost-sharing in traditional Medicare, and provides for bonus payments to high-quality plans.
ESSENTIAL BENEFITS: In preparation for reform, the Health Benefits Advisory Committee reports their
recommended essential benefits package to the Secretary of HHS for adoption.
Additional federal funds to states with high unemployment. Assists States in maintaining access to
Medicaid services during the recession by extending the current Recovery Act increase in federal Medicaid
payments to states with high unemployment rates.
IMPROVES LOW-INCOME PROTECTIONS IN MEDICARE: Increases the assets test limits in the Part D drug
program and Medicare Savings Programs to ensure that more low-income beneficiaries get the financial help
they need to make their health care affordable.
EXTENDS MONTHS OF COVERAGE OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUGS FOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANT PATIENTS:
Lifts the current 36-month limitation on Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant
patients who would otherwise lose this coverage on or after 2012.
I didn't bother to go on because this post is already getting too long. How much will this all cost? The site says zero for the first 10 years, actually a positive $100 to the deficit in the first 10 years, but I'm waiting to see the total cost, I bet most of the costs are delayed in order to game the 10 year projection the CBO issues, the numbers breakdown is not yet available. Wow, a whole bunch of giveaways and expanded services, I just don't see where the cost savings would come from and how we're going to pay for the real costs once the plan is implemented and real numbers come in instead of these projections. More posts later
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