A few years ago, someone I went to public school with left an idiotic comment on my Facebook wall about something I’d written on DM, basically saying in a totally dipshitty way that “the country can’t afford to insure everyone” and asking “why should hard-working people like me have to pay the way for others?” and THEN this moron proceeded to almost brag that she had a husband and five (FIVE!) uninsured children and she STILL felt this way and was active in the Tea party, natch.
“Who” is “the country,” in the minds of some of these dolts? Apparently, though, she was in agreement with her fellow teabaggers about giving the “job creators” like Thurston Howell III Mitt Romney and buddies a gigundo tax cut.
We were both educated in the same public school system. Go figure. People on my FB wall just tore into her, viciously, but I blocked her. I hadn’t spoken to her since the 6th grade, probably, and wasn’t all that interested in picking up where we’d left off at the age of 12 for more of her brain-damaged Tea party nonsense.
Here’s a list of what is already in effect, courtesy of CaspianX2 [I’m not block-quoting to save space, this is but one short piece of a much longer post at reddit]:
It allows the Food and Drug Administration to approve more generic drugs (making for more competition in the market to drive down prices)
It increases the rebates on drugs people get through Medicare
It establishes a non-profit group, that the government doesn’t directly control, PCORI, to study different kinds of treatments to see what works better and is the best use of money.
It makes chain restaurants like McDonalds display how many calories are in all of their foods, so people can have an easier time making choices to eat healthy.
It makes a “high-risk pool” for people with pre-existing conditions. Basically, this is a way to slowly ease into getting rid of “pre-existing conditions” altogether. For now, people who already have health issues that would be considered “pre-existing conditions” can still get insurance, but at different rates than people without them.
It forbids insurance companies from discriminating based on a disability, or because they were the victim of domestic abuse in the past (yes, insurers really did deny coverage for that)
It renews some old policies, and calls for the appointment of various positions.
It creates a new 10% tax on indoor tanning booths.
It says that health insurance companies can no longer tell customers that they won’t get any more coverage because they have hit a “lifetime limit”. Basically, if someone has paid for health insurance, that company can’t tell that person that he’s used that insurance too much throughout his life so they won’t cover him any more. They can’t do this for lifetime spending, and they’re limited in how much they can do this for yearly spending.
Kids can continue to be covered by their parents’ health insurance until they’re 26.
No more “pre-existing conditions” for kids under the age of 19.
Insurers have less ability to change the amount customers have to pay for their plans.
People in a “Medicare Gap” get a rebate to make up for the extra money they would otherwise have to spend.
Insurers can’t just drop customers once they get sick.
Insurers have to tell customers what they’re spending money on. (Instead of just “administrative fee,” they have to be more specific).
Insurers need to have an appeals process for when they turn down a claim, so customers have some manner of recourse other than a lawsuit when they’re turned down.
Anti-fraud funding is increased and new ways to stop fraud are created.
Medicare extends to smaller hospitals.
Medicare patients with chronic illnesses must be monitored more thoroughly.
Reduces the costs for some companies that handle benefits for the elderly.
A new website is made to give people insurance and health information. (I think this is it: http://www.healthcare.gov/ ).
A credit program is made that will make it easier for business to invest in new ways to treat illness by paying half the cost of the investment. (Note - this program was temporary. It already ended)
A limit is placed on just how much of a percentage of the money an insurer makes can be profit, to make sure they’re not price-gouging customers.
A limit is placed on what type of insurance accounts can be used to pay for over-the-counter drugs without a prescription. Basically, your insurer isn’t paying for the Aspirin you bought for that hangover.
Employers need to list the benefits they provided to employees on their tax forms.
Any new health plans must provide preventive care (mammograms, colonoscopies, etc.) without requiring any sort of co-pay or charge.
For what’s still to come with the change in healthcare laws, you’ll have to go over to reddit for more. You’ll notice that CaspianX2 has edited and refined his guide to Obamacare with the help of the reddit community, so this is an evolving document.
Below, Miit Romney explains the individual mandate better than Obama or the Democrats ever have. Poor Mittens having shit like this following him around. How will Republicans react to seeing this? Chances are they won’t ever see it, as this clip will probably never get anywhere near Fox News or Drudge…
