Fact Finder wrote:http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1914020220100319
Here is what to expect if the bill becomes law:
WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF ENACTMENT
*Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.
A bar on dropping those who become sick is ok - I'm fine with that. Not ok with totally eliminating lifetime coverage limits.
*Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
Not a bad thing in and of itself - these costs can theoretically be passed on to the entire pool.
*Young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. Many health plans currently drop dependents from coverage when they turn 19 or finish college.
Not sure what the rationale behind this is purported to be - either you get a job after high school and get your own coverage, go to college, or get dropped... why 26? Jesus, a lot of people are having their own kids by 26 or at least used to.
*Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.
Probably a fair thing.
*A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.
Hm. On one hand, I don't think it's smart to incentivize people to retire so early. Aside from certain jobs like military and possibly law enforcement, retiring at any point before 60 is awfully young, imo. On the other hand, it'll theoretically create more jobs for younger people assuming things don't ever turn around here. I'd rather just see this country return to the point where it's not expected to have a 17% unemployment rate.
*Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the "doughnut hole" coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.
Bush should have never passed Medicare Part D. I don't see how a provision like this actually helps
cost in the long run, which is the main issue underlying all health care problems. Utter shit.
*A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.
The problem is what they get back in the tax credit is far outstripped by the increased burdens this bill will put on small business owners. Ask any small business owner and he will tell you the same. If you believe them on this claim, then I've got some great ocean front property in North Dakota to sell you.
*A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.
All people who go tanning deserve to get skin cancer, lesions, and die a painful death.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2011
*Medicare provides 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.
Great, the fraudsters can steal even more money from us.
*Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan service. New health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no cost to patients.
Begs the question: What is a "free annual wellness visit?" A physical? A battery of tests for maladies that are more liable to effect the elderly? What are preventive services "with little or no cost to patients?" Perhaps they are in the definitions section of the bill, but this sounds like a strange provision to me. You get what you pay for and if the reimbursement is crappy or the mandate too overbearing, I have a feeling this type of provision will be a well-intentioned one that doesn't work in practice because it's too Utopian.
*A new program under the Medicaid plan for the poor goes into effect in October that allows states to offer home and community based care for the disabled that might otherwise require institutional care.
No comment, not enough familiarity with this area.
*Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage services are frozen at 2010 levels. These payments are to be gradually reduced to bring them more in line with traditional Medicare.
Not good at all, penalizes those eligible for Medicare who lived a life of fiscal responsibility and saved money for health care in old age by forcing their coverage to get crappier. Again, you get what you pay for.
*Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees' W-2 tax forms.
For what purpose, Big Brother?
*An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.
An annual fee for
what exactly?
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2012
*Physician payment reforms are implemented in Medicare to enhance primary care services and encourage doctors to form "accountable care organizations" to improve quality and efficiency of care.
Read: A bunch of bureaucrat political science major assholes want to try and tell doctors and other medical professionals how to run their practices.
*An incentive program is established in Medicare for acute care hospitals to improve quality outcomes.
Too general/broad to comment on
*The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begin tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.
We don't need anything that "oversees" Medicare and Medicaid overseeing
anything else, trust me.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2013
*A national pilot program is established for Medicare on payment bundling to encourage doctors, hospitals and other care providers to better coordinate patient care.
Read: A bunch of bureaucrat political science major assholes want to try and tell doctors and other medical professionals how to run their practices.
*The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income. The threshold remains at 7.5 percent for the elderly through 2016.
Cool
*The Medicare payroll tax is raised to 2.35 percent from 1.45 percent for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples with incomes over $250,000. The tax is imposed on some investment income for that income group.
Because another tax is just what we need. Don't like this at all.
*A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.
Tax revenues I'm
"sure" will all be devoted to improving our health care... right.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2014
*State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals open.
Hopefully we never reach this point
*Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don't. Healthcare tax credits become available to help people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty purchase coverage on the exchange.
Utter bullshit
*Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
I'm ok with this, as I think those with pre-existing conditions should be able to get insurance, but I don't see how this helps control costs in the aggregate. Also, like I said, I do believe lifetime maximums are fair.
*Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren't counted for the fine.
Read: A bunch of bureaucrat political science major assholes want to try and tell business owners what's good for them
*Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.
Draconian again, just like the pharmaceutical market share based fee. Even if you agree with this, do you really think these fees will be used for the betterment of the system? No way
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2015
*Medicare creates a physician payment program aimed at rewarding quality of care rather than volume of services.
Quality of care measured by who and how, exactly? Read: A bunch of bureaucrat political science major assholes want to try and tell doctors and other medical professionals how to run their practices.
... Operations Manager at a company that recycles, buys and sells stainless steel and hi-temp alloys.
