Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group I finally get to have health insurance!

One of the problems I just read about today from AP is that it does NOT cover preexisting conditions until 2014. The politicians lied to us or there were so many bureaucrats putting the bill together that the kids somehow got forgotten.

"ObamaCare will not protect children with pre-existing health conditions from being denied health coverage -- not until 2014. This despite endless talking points and promises to the contrary, the Associated Press reports:

Under the new law, insurance companies still would be able to refuse new coverage to children because of a pre-existing medical problem, said Karen Lightfoot, spokeswoman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the main congressional panels that wrote the bill Obama signed into law Tuesday...

Full protection for children would not come until 2014, said Kate Cyrul, a spokeswoman for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, another panel that authored the legislation. That's the same year when insurance companies could no longer deny coverage to any person on account of health problems."

Well, not to get off-topic Jaybird, but having coverage and having good coverage are too very different things. Insurance companies hiking rates, dropping people who get sick, capping coverage, not covering people with pre-existing conditiones, etc., etc., etc., are facts that bear my statement out. Now, the fact that I get health insurance at long last is the topic of this thread. If you'd like to whine about how you didn't get your way, start your own thread if you please.

Hope you get all you need from the bill

Jeanne

Avonlady, I appreciate your point of view, and it's clear you've been reading Republican talking points. As I mentioned to Jaybird, you are hijacking a thread that has to do with my exictement over finally getting health care coverage.

As for the "loophole" that has been found, it is exactly that, a loophole, and is not an example of politicians lying to anyone. Conspicuously missing from your post is the fact that this situation is in the process of being resolved by the White House. The intent of the bill was to do exactly what has been described, to immediately end the practice of denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions; that the language in the bill was vague enough for the insurance companies to try and weasel out of the legislation is yet another example of the fat cats trying to stay fat at our expense.

You know, I don't expect Republicans to like the fact that they lost, but I was kind of hoping that they and their followers would be glad for those who are actually helped by this law. So please, if you'd like to whine, please do feel free to start your own thread; otherwise, I'll thank you not to hijack mine.

Congratulations!

As a spectator, I'm so impressed by Mr Obama getting this through. It has to be a defining point in his administration.

As others have mentioned in this post, it's a great first step, and hopefully, over time, more will be done.

I had a mate who worked in the US a few years back, and the amount his company had to pay for private health insurance blew me away. I'm amazed that they can charge so much AND also have been so selective.

Here in Australia I have comprehensive private insurance which only costs me around $250 a month. I think it is because so many people have the insurance that the price is kept so low.

If that can be done here, I'm sure it can (eventually) be done in the US. As TiredOfPain said, it just means the (POWERFULL) insurance companies may have to reduce their dividends and their executive pay packets slightly!

James

Indeed!

Yes, we have a way to go on health care, and how I wish all the benefits could kick in immediately, but as they have to deal with an incredible deficit left to them by the previous administration (we actually had a surplus as Clinton left office),they didn't want to add to that. But these early benefits are going to help a whole lot of people, including myself (he says selfishly, lol), and couldn't have come at a better time.

Cheers!

Thanks! I'm so excited.

when i wanted to know EXACTLY what was in the health insurance reform bill, and when each item would be implemented, i googled it, but all i was coming up with was summaries by news organizations. unfortunately, the news is not just unbiased facts, but opinions as well. so i wanted to go to a first source, not filtered by someone else. in lieu of reading the entire bill, this was the best site i could find:

http://docs.house.gov/energycommerce/TIMELINE.pdf


if anyone has a better, more "original source" site for me to look at, i'd be interested in seeing it.

from what i'm reading, things will be implemented over a time-line, some things right away, other things a little later. from what i've been hearing on my local news, a few things are already gearing up to go into effect.

since this has been years, decades even in the making, a few years out sounds pretty good to me, but many of the most important changes and/or easiest to implement, seem like they will be taking effect very soon.

could the bill have been better? nothing is perfect. but i'm going to focus on the good that is coming out of this, like pete and others finally getting the coverage they deserve.

NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHILDREN WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS—Prohibits health plans from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Effective 6 months after enactment. (Beginning in 2014, this prohibition would apply to adults as well.)

from:

http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=2214

With the passion surrounding this subject, the team would like to remind everyone:

For the good of all, Please let's try to keep the rhetoric to a minimum -- Please recognise if/when you are being baited -- and Please do not react/respond in kind to troll-like behaviour to the detriment of your fellow posters.

It is counter-productive to the very purpose of our support site when the few are permitted to derail important topics of conversation. For the sake of the original poster and meaningful discussion, please help in this by being mindful of the R&R's when contributing to this thread.

Thank you!