Posted on March 24, 2010 by Mitt Romney
President Obama's health care bill is unhealthy for America. Without a single Republican vote in the House or the Senate, he pushed through a bill that millions of Americans do not want, and for which we cannot conceivably pay.
Health care reform shouldn't mean higher taxes, cuts to our seniors on Medicare, insurance price controls or greater federal involvement in our lives. But unfortunately that's just what we're getting.
Lets take Romney's first retort concerning the Affordable Care Act....higher taxes.
Health care reform shouldn't mean higher taxes, cuts to our seniors on Medicare, insurance price controls or greater federal involvement in our lives. But unfortunately that's just what we're getting.
Lets take Romney's first retort concerning the Affordable Care Act....higher taxes.
In 2010 and 2011 alone, these provisions will save Medicare an estimated $8 billion and almost $418 billion by 2019. These savings will protect the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund through 2027, extending its life by 12 years.
These new savings will come largely as a result of reducing excessive payments to private health insurance companies, promoting better quality of care, and cutting Medicare waste and fraud through powerful new tools. These tools keep bad actors out of the Medicare program in order to prevent fraud in the first place and enhanced technologies to help law enforcement stop fraud quickly when it does occur.
And there are many important investments in support of innovation for clinicians and health care organizations who are trying every day, as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is, to make health care better for patients and more affordable at the same time.There are other actions in the new law that strengthen Medicare by improving the health of those who receive benefits. These include improving outreach and coordination efforts after a patient is discharged from the hospital to prevent unnecessary hospital readmissions and reducing preventable surgical errors.
Many of the programs in the Affordable Care Act are designed to ensure that people with Medicare continue to have access to quality, affordable care. This year, many people with Medicare who have fallen into the Medicare donut hole are receiving a one-time $250 rebate check to help with their drug costs, making sure that financial concerns do not interrupt needed treatment agreed on by a patient and a doctor.
And next year, all people with Medicare will have access to annual wellness visits and other preventive services with no cost-sharing, giving millions of Americans an opportunity to get potentially life-saving screenings. Over time, new reforms will also encourage better coordinated care.
Together, this adds up to a good deal for people with Medicare and taxpayers. If you or someone you love is on Medicare, make sure to check out sections like here and here on www.healthcare.gov that talk more about how the Affordable Care Act affects you.
Romney states that there will be cuts to our seniors on Medicare.
- More benefits. Your guaranteed benefits under Medicare remain. Starting next year, help is on the way for if you are struggling to afford preventive services. Co-pays and other cost-sharing for key preventive services such as colon cancer screening and mammograms will be eliminated. And you can receive free annual wellness check-ups.
- Fighting fraud and keeping Medicare strong. Reducing waste, fraud and abuse is critical to ensuring that Medicare’s precious resources are going to support the health and well-being of seniors like you. We are committed to cutting fraud in the traditional Medicare program in half by 2012. The dollars we save will go right back into the Medicare trust funds to preserve the life of the program.
- Lower drug costs. The Medicare “donut hole” is a gap in prescription drug coverage where people with Medicare have to pay the full cost of their drugs. That gap will be closed under the Affordable Care Act. This year, if you fall into the donut hole, you will receive a one-time, tax-free rebate check for $250. Next year, if you reach the donut hole, you will receive about 50% off the cost of your brand name drugs, and by 2020 the donut hole will have been gradually closed.
- Better quality care. Medicare has long led the way in improving how care is delivered in America. Under the Affordable Care Act, we are going to keep improving quality by encouraging more integrated, coordinated care. Community health teams will provide patient-centered care so you won’t have to see multiple doctors who don’t work together
The Affordable Care Act puts people, not health insurance companies or government, in charge of health care. The new law strengthens the existing employer-based health insurance market while making the market fair for consumers by implementing landmark consumer protections. Families and individuals that don't have access to affordable coverage can receive tax credits to help them purchase coverage in the private health insurance market. There is no government-sponsored, public, or "single payer" plan in the law.
Other facts about the Affordable Care Act.
Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: New York
- Add this to...
- Send a link to Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: New York to someone by E-mail
- Share Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: New York on Facebook
- Tweet about Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: New York on Twitter
- Bookmark Stop Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: New York on Google
- Submit Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: New York to Yahoo! Buzz
- Bookmark Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: New York on Delicious
- Rank Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: New York on Digg
- Close
In August, eligible residents of New York will be able to apply for coverage through the state’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan program run by Group Health Incorporated.
To qualify for coverage:
For more information, please contact the New York State Department of Insurance Consumer Services Bureau at 800-342-3736.
Some Important Details:
To qualify for coverage:
- You must be a citizen or national of the United States or lawfully present in the United States.
- You must have been uninsured for at least the last six months before you apply.
- You must have had a problem getting insurance due to a pre-existing condition.
| Premium: | Approximately $400 to $600 per month |
| Deductible: | To be determined |
| Out of Pocket Limit: | To be determined |
For more information, please contact the New York State Department of Insurance Consumer Services Bureau at 800-342-3736.
Health insurance reform lowers costs for American businesses - especially small businesses - who are struggling to remain profitable and competitive under the status quo. The independent Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the bill would lower health insurance premiums for the same insurance plan by up to 4 percent for small businesses and 3 percent for large businesses, and the Business Roundtable estimated that provisions to help bend the health care cost curve like those in the bill could save $3,000 per person in health costs.
and the Affordable Care Act
Under the Affordable Care Act, you and your family may be eligible for some important preventive services—which can help you avoid illness and improve your health—at no additional cost to you.
What This Means for You:
If your plan is subject to these new requirements, you would not have to pay a copayment, co-insurance, or any deductible to receive preventive health services, such as recommended screenings, vaccinations, and counseling.
For example, depending on your age, you may have free access to such preventive services as:
- Blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol tests;
- Many cancer screenings, including mammograms and colonoscopies;
- Counseling from your health care provider on such topics as quitting smoking, losing weight, eating healthfully, treating depression, and reducing alcohol use;
- Routine vaccinations against diseases such as measles, polio, or meningitis;
- Flu and pneumonia shots;
- Counseling, screening, and vaccines to ensure healthy pregnancies;
- Regular well-baby and well-child visits, from birth to age 21.
- This preventive services provision applies to people enrolled in job-related health plans or individual health insurance policies created after March 23, 2010. If you are in such a health plan, this provision will affect you as soon as your plan begins its first new “plan year” or “policy year” on or after September 23, 2010.
- If your plan is “grandfathered,” these benefits may not be available to you.
- If your health plan uses a network of providers, be aware that health plans are only required to provide these preventive services through an in-network provider. Your health plan may allow you to receive these services from an out-of-network provider, but may charge you a fee.
- Your doctor may provide a preventive service, such as a cholesterol screening test, as part of an office visit. Be aware that your plan can require you to pay some costs of the office visit, if the preventive service is not the primary purpose of the visit, or if your doctor bills you for the preventive services separately from the office visit.
- If you have questions about whether these new provisions apply to your plan, contact your insurer or plan administrator. If you still have questions, contact your State insurance department.
- To know which covered preventive services are right for you—based on your age, gender, and health status—ask your health care provider
No comments:
Post a Comment