auditor0007
Gold Member
Just to name a few:
- Ending of coverage denial for pre-existing conditions
That is a favorite of Democrats and other defenders of this debacle. the problem is that coverage was rarely denied based on those conditions. Rates were higher if a person had a condition that could rise the cost of their health care, and was denied of they failed to disclose it.
- Preventing being dropped from your insurance when struck with a major illness.
Another claim that falls short in the fact department.
Which will raise rates for everyone, even those who prefer to have that limited coverage.
I can understand why this can cause problems, I just fail to understand why people whine about it. They chose the policy that had limited coverage, and then expect the insurer to keep paying when they have expenses they do not anticipate. My sympathy for this problem is rather low.
No it does not. What it does is lower the cost ofr the people that use insurance the most, not for everyone. Expanding the risk pool only benefits the insurance companies, why do you think they were so solidly behind the mandate.
- Closing the Medicare donut hole which immediately helps seniors with their prescription drug costs
That could have been accomplished without a 2000 page bill.
- Tax credits for small business who offer medical insurance to their employees
I thought you were opposed to the status quo. Most experts, including those who support this law, tell me that the primary factor that drives up health care costs is the fact that people are not responsible for the costs. Expanding that problem to more people is not going to fix anything.
Do you really know what you are talking about? Let me tell you something; insurance comapanies deny coverage for the smallest of things, unless of course, you are part of a group plan. Then they cannot deny coverage. In some instances, they can deny coverage for a certain period of time, usually six to twelve months, for any pre-existing conditions. But this is only true for those who receive their insurance through a group plan, which means their employer. If someone is self-employed, they will deny you for a sneeze.
I had health insurance in Colorado. It was a private plan, as I am self-employed. Due to personal reasons, I had to move out of state. When I moved, I lost my health insurance because I had a pre-existing condition. Had I worked for a company, HIPAA laws would not have allowed the insurance companies to deny me, but since I was self-employed and had a private plan, they just said "sorry, you are too high of a risk". And get this, I couldn't even get insurance through the same company that insured me in Colorado. Wellpoint is the parent company of Anthem in both Colorado and Ohio. But since they are actually separate companies, they chose to deny me.
But here is where things get really screwed up and I have to wonder if the insurance companies even have a clue as to what is going on. I kept my Colorado insurance for six months, which is the longest period of time you can keep coverage from another state. After that point, they will not cover you if they find out you have been living out of state for a period of more than six months. So, I quit paying my premiums. I had no choice.
Here is the kicker though. Anthem wouldn't give me insurance in Ohio, but for the next six months Anthem of Colorado kept calling me trying to get me back as a customer, saying that I could get the same coverage I had at the same price. Of course when I told them I no longer lived in Colorado, they understood they could not. Still, another person would call me the next month offering me the same deal. They knew I had a pre-existing condition, but they still wanted me back.
The bottom line is that if you have a pre-existing condition, you can get coverage, if you do it through an employer. But if you must purchase a private plan on your own, you are screwed. They won't even take you if you have diabetes. The problem with this entire debate is that most people who have opinions don't know much about the actual workings of the health insurance industry. Everyone who has insurance throught their employer is pretty much satisfied, because they are not paying the bulk of their premiums.
I know one thing that would change everything overnight, and I'm pretty certain it would be for the better. Quit forcing employers to be responsible for covering their employees health insurance. Hell, make it illegal, and that includes government employees also. Make it so every American had to purchase health insurance on their own. Then you would see the shit hit the fan as people would actually get a better understanding of the true costs.