Over the past few years, (and when I say few, I mean way too many to count), our country has been in desperate need of health care reform. As a man who is coming to the age where knowing a little bit about politics and the rest of the world is a bit important, I have decided to look up a few things, like what is health care reform?The basic run down of this health care reform is as follows: Children with pre-existing conditions will be covered by insurance companies no matter what. Children will soon be allowed to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until their 26th birthday. (Hurray for me, since I am only 20.)
Starting this year, insurance companies are officially banned from dropping people for being sick. Restrictive limits on coverage plans are also banned. Adults who were denied health insurance because of pre-existing conditions will now have the opportunity to access reasonable health insurance plans through a temporary subsidized high-risk pool system. This new bill also increases the funding for health centers so they can treat more patients.
Economists and politicians say that this new bill will help reduce some of the worst insurance practices, while strengthening the stronger policies at work. Some issues, such as discrimination based upon salary, will be forbidden. Starting January 1, 2011, insurers in the individual and small group market will be required to spend 80 percent of their premium dollars on medical services. While larger groups will have to spend 85 percent on medical services. Also, if the insurance agencies fail to meet those terms, the policyholders are to receive rebates from their insurance policies. Also starting in 2011, all premium increases must be justified.
This new reform focuses on immediately lowering health care costs for the American families and small businesses. To make employee coverage much more affordable, businesses that offer coverage will begin to receive tax credits for up to 35 percent of premiums. The bill will also provide help for those planning on retirement by using a temporary re-insurance program to help offset the cost of premiums.
In the long run, I can see this new Health Care Bill improving our Health Care System. But I see this bill as I see our President. The expectations are very high. The American people just need to give this bill and our President some time. It took us years to get into the hole that we are in now. It’s going to take us years to get out of it. This Health Care Bill and Barack Obama are just the basic ground work of a long process of improving our American life.