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As most of us are well aware, the President will be signing a new healthcare bill into law today. Here's my top ten questions about it as we move towards the future. If you think you know the answers, please feel free to chime in :)
9. How costly will my insurance be?
8. Will it be as good as my current insurance that I have through my mom?
7. Will my doctors pay be decreased?
6. Is there a lifetime max?
5. I'm sure there is something else, but I forgot to put a #5 in the original blog, thanks Piper!!
4. Will there be longer waits to see doctors and to get into the hospital?
3. Will care become better, worse or stay the same?
2. Will insurance profits go up or down?
1. Ultimately, who is the buck getting passed to to cover all of this?
What are your questions?
Logging you in...
Krista Tucker · 784 weeks ago
http://www.cff.org/aboutCFFoundation/NewsEvents/0...
Jennifer · 784 weeks ago
Heidi Karn Barker · 784 weeks ago
Piper · 784 weeks ago
#9: No one knows the actual numbers right now. Let me put it this way: as an adult with CF if I went to purchase my own private plan under HIPAA I would be paying about $3,000-$4,000 a month for basic coverage. This will lower that.
#8: I don't know what your current plan is, what it provides for, or how you are still covered by your mom's insurance at age 30. You will be able to shop around for different coverage plans under this bill. However, you can keep your current insurance -- at a minimum until 2014.
#7: The AMA and many doctors/nurses groups supported the bill. My doctor supports it. Talk to your doctor about his/her thoughts and what it means for healthcare professionals.
#6: Nope, this is part of what the bill eliminates.
#5: You missed a number ;)
#4: Probably not, although this is one of the concerns people have. There will be more people able to access to care. When more people are in line, sometimes wait times increase. But ask yourself: is it fair to continue in a system where so many people have no access simply because those of us who do don't want to deal with having more people in the waiting room, so to speak? I personally would say no. There may have to be some prioritizing of certain needs if more people are able to get care -- think triage like in the ER. Again, no one is sure how this will actually play out, and who are we to say that someone shouldn't be able to be in line for an MRI just b/c our appt might be pushed back? Sorry, I'm not meaning to say people who have this concern are heartless (I totally get wanting to look out for your own interests), but to me it's a moot argument. I wouldn't say that scholarships for colleges should be eliminated simply b/c it puts more people in the admissions pool!
#3: Again, some people are worried that care will decrease b/c people will be concerned about cutting costs. I don't see this happening. First of all, we're not going to a public system. Second of all, even if we were, I know so many people who feel their care in countries with public systems is BETTER, but it's up for debate. Third, I believe that healthcare access is so important -- I want the greatest good for the greatest number of people. People with CF who don't have insurance (I know some) are currently getting NO care. I can't stomach that. The bottom line is that your quality of care will most likely depend on your provider, just as it does now.
#2: More people will be insured, but the unfair premium hikes (without notice) and cancellations of high-risk policies will be unlawful, so who knows? Insurance companies won't go out of business under this plan.
#1: Well, ultimately this plan is placing the responsibility for healthcare with the community. So some people, particularly those in high tax brackets, will be paying a little more to help cover those who will pay a little less. BUT, this already happens, and at exorbiant mark-ups. People without insurance currently have to use the ER, which tends to work in one of 2 ways: 1) either they get no preventative care and wind up with major issues that could have been caught earlier, therefore requiring expensive treatments, or 2) they come into the ER with a slight cold or cut simply b/c they can't see a regular doctor, and then the costs are much higher than a simple office visit. Either way, guess who shoulders the cost? Either the government, or the hospital. The government pays for a certain amount, but not enough, so the hospital passes its losses on to other patients in the hospital by raising its rates for services. So now you have people like us, who are in the hospital often, being charged more, and people without insurance who aren't completely poor are really suffering b/c they go to the hospital and have to pay out of pocket for these ridiculously high priced services. Not good. This is a much more fair way to distribute costs, in my opinion.
Note that all of the above are my own personal opinions. I'm not perfect, I do have political leanings and biases just like everyone else but: 1) I've read most of the bills, 2) I try and watch varying news reports (i.e., I'm not all MSNBC or Fox News, and anyone out there who thinks these news sources aren't biased -- both of them -- is living in total denial), and 3) I try and be both realistic and somewhat intelligent when I process this information. Reasonable and very smart people could disagree with me, of course, and I don't think people on the other side are out to screw over people without insurance. I'm totally disappointed at the immature and frankly unacceptable rhetoric that has been involved throughout this debate, from both sides in many cases. I'm also disappointed at politicians who refuse to admit that this bill has provisions that they themselves have supported in the past and now just claim that it's completely non-partisan or that they had no voice. Just my 2 cents (or more like 2 dollars, given the length!).
Jeremy · 784 weeks ago
alicia · 784 weeks ago
MJ SeaSalt · 784 weeks ago
@cfstinabug · 784 weeks ago
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62I4KD20100...
Piper · 784 weeks ago
The good news is that this might help you come off of medicaid if you're dissatisfied, or at least purchase secondary insurance. If you are unable to afford an additional insurance beyond your medicaid even under the new system, my understanding is that your coverage won't change much, if at all. Medicare and medicaid are not being shut down under this system! Medicaid, in particular, is state run, and will not be affected by this bill other than its expansion to help cover more people. The only affect this bill should have on your care is the possible introduction of additional/new options, depending on your financial status. Unfortunately, since medicaid is income-based and designed to cover those who can't otherwise afford insurance, most people on medicaid will probably find it better to remain where they are I'm guessing. People on Medicare due to a disability, however, will be able to potentially shop around for private insurance without paying $3,000-4,000 in premiums each month.
Laura · 784 weeks ago
GODBLESSU · 783 weeks ago