WebMD Community Talk Show

IT MUST BE REPEALED!! PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY THEIR OWN INSURANCE.MUCH LESS,BE FORCED TO DO SO!! DEBBIE BELL

This is a hard one for me to answer. Honestly, I don't think it will affect me at all. My employer provides health insurance and did before this law was enacted. I pay my premiums and fight the insurance company over almost every bill just like I did before.

Butterfly

Soooo those without insurance that can not afford to pay when need to go for care either emergency or otherwise-what happens? Hmmmm get denied, declare bankruptcy, have care at the expense of the system? Soo the rest of us pay by higher bills because we are paying for those that don't. Something seems not right here.

If it is thrown out, I don't know how it will affect us. I do think that if Obama wants to force health care on us, it should be the same health care that Congress gets. Dick Chaney is being persecuted for receiving a heart transplant at the age of 71 after being on the wait list for almost 2 years. I wonder if Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid needed a heart transplant would there be as much criticizm for them. I don't want government to have the right to decide if I am worthy of treatment because of my age or health status. I fear this is what will happen if it does pass.

It will be back to being told that since I come to a job with E. that it is preexisting and therefore I must wait in some cases a year to see my nuero or cover nay meds or proceedures not to mention my cousin who after college was allowed to stay on it .If this is illegal so is mandatory car insurance License renewals .

Who will be affected?

Anyone with Medicare Part D will again be required to pay the full price of medication once they hit the infamous coverage gap (aka donut hole). For 2012, the gap starts at total drug cost (both what the individual pays and what the insurance company pays for the med) of $2930. From there they will have to pay 100% of the cost of the drug (whether that's a $45 cost or a $1000 cost) out of pocket until they hit $4700 total drug cost. So that's $1770 that a senior must come up with out of pocket for medications if the act is repealed.

Anyone who wants to still cover their children over the age of 19 such as full time college students etc. If the act is repealed, those dependents will be cut off.

Small businesses who currently enjoy a tax credit for offering insurance to their employees will lose that once the act is repealed.

Children who are born with any number of illnesses/diseases will again be marked as 'pre-existing' and insurance companies can refuse to cover them.

Fully insured plans will begin to charge for basic preventive services such as mammograms, pap smears and PSA testing leading people to not get these services for fear of cost.

there will be no health care exchanges allowing consumers to shop for plans across state lines if the act is repealed.

Are you saying that you can't afford health insurance?

I hope you will investigate the bill in more detail. Most of the provisions in the bill have not taken effect. If you truly can't afford to purchase insurance, assistance will be provided.
I agree this is far from a perfect bill but it is much better than the current system.
If it is repealed we will go back to the previous system and it is unlikely Congress will do anything to improve it. (in my opinion)
Right now you and I are being forced to pay for the uninsured.

The provisions of the bill provide tax deductions for your employer which help him provide this benefit to you. A benefit like this needs to be looked at as part of your total compensation package not as a freebe. (it's not free) If your employer didn't provide health insurance he should pay you more. (the additional amount he is now paying for insurance.)
The last small company I worked for began to change insurance companys to cheaper plans that covered less and less benefits. This was because of rising cost. Then he changed it to a 50/50 split. He paid half of the premiums and I paid half. He eventually quit providing health insurance because of the high cost and increased everyone pay a modest amount. Of course we had to purchase it at individule rates instead of group rates.
If you are fighting the insurance company now I doubt it has anything to do with this bill as most of it hasn't gone into effect. Post again in 2014.

So what is insurance?
A group of people all pay an amount into a pool. The insurance company figures out how much to charge by figuring out what it will require if someone in the group needs the services that are covered. This is called Risk. The bigger the pool the less you pay unless more in the group require services. In that case the amount you pay is increased. The insurance company know from elaborate systems how to balance all this out. If the group is required to pay for those people that don't pay they naturally the insurance company has to require those in the pool to pay even more to make up the difference.
We also need to consider that ER's are the most expensive way to provide services.
It's a little like a slot machine. Lots ofr people put money in and a few win a little.

I most certainly should be repealed! Our economy is still in the dumps. With the jobless rate still out of control, Obama should make sure people are working and can afford the insurance he is imposing.

The problem with the American people is that most of them believe everything they hear, without looking into things themselves. Accomodations are made for those that are below the poverty scale so as to have insurance. We are already paying for those that do not have insurance now. The hospital I work in writes off millions of dollars yearly to take care of the indigent. That money that is written off affects the price of care for the insured and it also affects the services that can be given to the clients of the hospital in the surrounding communities. With everyone having insurance the hospitals will be able to bill for charges, based on a government rate, but allowing them to offer more services due to funding. Before you completely condemn the Healthcare act... be sure to read it... in detail... While the Healthcare bill is not the perfect solution... it is a far step ahead of the current one.

The Affordable Care Act is something that this country needs. However, I do believe it was never really explained to us the real benefits of this Act.

Our government only highlighted certain ponts,like children can be covered up to age 26, preexisting medical issue will be cover which is all good but mainly we all put our focus on the penalty for not having health insurance. Being force to by something when a lot of us are having a hard time to make ends meet on limited incomes government adding another bill to our small income.

The Current system as we know it is broke and we can not continue going down the current path as health insurance will soon be unaffordable for all.

Currently my employer provides health insurance which the employees contributes to. For 2011 my contribution for the year was $15,000 for 2012 it will be closer to $17,000 and this was only for me and my spouse . At these rate I will not be able to afford health insurance and without it I can not afford to get sick.
Yes I can go to the emergency room for treatment without insurance but you will be billed at rates you cannot afford.

This bill may not be perfect, but at least its a beginning in the right direction in reduceing our overall cost for health insurance.

"The problem with the American people is that most of them believe everything they hear ..."


The problem with most health care provider administrators and insurance company employees is they treat other human beings like cattle with wallets/purses. Sure, almost all of them are graduates of the school of customer service. They have to be nice when they're inflating prices for everything they do.
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"The hospital I work in writes off millions of dollars yearly to take care of the indigent."


They write off inflated bills AFTER they've taken every penny possible, including forcing bankruptcy.
Written off bills are tax deductible. While Providers complain about revenue lost, they are silent about the profits offset by tax deductions.
And they use the non-payment excuse to increase prices for customers (individuals and insurance companies) having the ability to pay.
To the extent the Affordable Care Act limits amounts/assets that can be taken from customers, it would be an improvement.
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"With everyone having insurance ... "


THAT is my primary issue with the Affordable Care Act.
Health insurance company lobbyists STOPPED the health care bill championed by Bill & Hillary Clinton. Why, then, did they SUPPORT the current bill? Answer:
Because of the mandate for everyone to participate or pay fines.


Insurance companies SUPPORT the Affordable Care Act for one reason ONLY:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


I recently had blood work performed. The bill was:
$742.00 = Total amount
- 519.90 = Contractual adjustment
- 199.90 = Insurance payment
22.20 = Patient responsibility


Those who wonder why I complain when I only had to pay $22.20 cannot be helped. They have been consumed by the deadly disease
"As long as I get mine, too bad for everyone else."


The bill was inflated because the Provider knew there would be a huge discount (contractual adjustment). If I did not have insurance I would have been charged $742 for a couple of hours of lab work. Of course I would have negotiated for a reduced bill. And the Provider would have happily pocketed a generous profit because they NEVER would have settled for the amount the insurance company negotiated.


Insurance companies are licking their chops. Why wouldn't they when executives are limited to paltry compensation.
Per http://www.healthreformwatch.com/2009/05/20/health-insurance-ceos-total-compensation-in-2008/

In 2008, Mr. Ronald A. Williams, CEO of Aetna, had to make do on $24,300,112 in compensation.
That is a mere $46.20 for every minute of every day.

Who do you know managing on a pittance like that?

Although he's undoubtedly received pay increases since 2008, he will enjoy the financial help that will occur when EVERYONE must buy insurance or be fined.
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To the original question of this debate:

If the Supreme Court decides to throw out the Affordable Care Act, it will calm my concerns about the future of our democracy and give me hope for a better health care future.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2009-06-11-lobby_N.htm
Per the above article in USATODAY, published in 2009:
"All health sectors spent $149 million on lobbying this year, a 10% jump, according to CQ MoneyLine, a non-partisan website. Overall spending on lobbying is down 2.6% this year, according to the site."


When any lobby group spends MORE while lobbies for other groups spend LESS, it can ONLY mean they are planning on making more money in the future - and that CANNOT be good for consumers!

While the Heath care act that was passed is not ideal, it is probaly as good as it gets for awhile. I think that it would be better if Health Insurance was not so much for profit and have one single payer. The way the system is now, we all pay different prices for health care based entirely on what our personal insurance companies have negotiated. It ends up that some services are grossly underpaid and some grossly overpaid. The face that ex College students in Obama care can stay on the policy is huge. When my son and daughter finished college I paid $346.00 per month for Cobra policies for them until they found jobs with Health Insurance . That was in 1995/1999. Also, the preexisting conditions problem is also fixed in Obama Care. Now people with health problems can change jobs without fear of having catastrophic health care that won't be covered. Before everyone gets upset about having to buy it. You have to BUY into both Medicare and Social Security already per the federal government. You also must buy auto insurance. I think that anyone who can't truly afford it will be supplemented. One major illness or accident can literally wipe you out of money. Why take that risk?