|
|
Healthcare Reform
|
|
Healthcare reform has the possibility of changing the state of health insurance in America as we know it. President Obama and Democrats in Congress have vowed to pass a health care reform bill before the end of 2009. Over $2 trillion was spent on health care in 2007, far more per person than other industrialized nations. The intent of healthcare reform legislation is to cover more Americans: currently, 46 million Americans are uninsured. Most people in the United States receive health insurance through their employers, but the recession has meant that those who are laid off lose their insurance. COBRA coverage, which allows the unemployed to continue buying insurance from their former company at a higher rate, is available; however, it is very costly. Many employers have eliminated health care coverage altogether, forcing their employees to buy individual health insurance on the open market. Individual health insurance tends to be less affordable than a group plan. Meanwhile, others have had to file bankruptcy due to medical bills despite already having a health insurance plan.
What changes would reform bring?
|
|
|
Healthcare Reform
|
|
One of the strangest aspects of this health care debate has been the role of insurers. Shortly after President Obama was sworn into office, the industry and it's lobbyists (through the group America's Health Care Plans) pledged to support healthcare reform. Even though it would cut into their profit margins, they were willing to compromise on important issues. This was a contrast from their successful torpedoing of the Clinton administration's health insurance reform plan in the 1990s. The government has been striving to insure all Americans, and a key obstacle to that is health insurance companies that refuse to sell policies to people with pre-existing conditions. That dilemma has become more pressing during the recession, as millions of unemployed Americans have lost their employer's health insurance along with their jobs. Underwriting standards are stricter on the open market, since private insurers are unable to spread costs among a large group of employees.
|
|
Healthcare Reform
|
 The newest wrinkle in healthcare reform comes from the Senate. There has been much speculation on the possibility of an employer mandate, which would require that businesses of a certain size offer a health insurance plan to their employees--considered by some as a surefire way to get more Americans insured. However, anonymous Senate officials have told the Associated Press that such a mandate won't be included in the final Senate bill. Health insurers were counting on such a requirement, in addition to a similar one for individuals, to gain more business. Still, this doesn't mean that private companies can can feel free to avoid offering more affordable group health insurance to their employees.
|
|
Healthcare Reform
|
The healthcare reform bills passed by committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate have significant differences. These variations will have to be hammered out before a final bill is presented to both chambers in Congress. In general, the House's bill is more comprehensive and allows for greater public involvement in providing Americans with health insurance. Interest groups are vying for benefits in the bill, which will no doubt see budget cuts before it comes up for a general vote. Unfortunately, older Americans appear to suffer in both bills, due to proposed insurance regulations that will allow insurance companies to charge higher rates based on age. Many baby boomers are in this precarious age group: too young for Medicare, disproportionately suffering from layoffs in this terrible economy (therefore losing their employer's insurance), and often having pre-existing conditions that may prevent them from buying individual health insurance at all. Still, which version of healthcare reform passes will be of great consequence to older individuals.
|
|
Healthcare Reform
|
|
The possibility of a government-supported public option for health insurance is closer than ever, though not without controversy. President Obama has endorsed it, but the majority of Democratic politicians have shied away from supporting it. Republicans have expressed their opposition, warning that a system similar to that of Canada and Western Europe would lead to rationed and lower-quality health care. These worries have received lots of attention in the press; however, it appears that a majority of Americans in a CBS News poll (62%) favor a government health insurance plan akin to Medicare, which often cooperates with private insurance companies. Healthcare reform opponents have seen some success in convincing others of their view; there was 10% higher support for such a plan in June, before the famously town hall meetings which presented congresspersons on recess with passionate opponents of the public option. Those on Medicare have generally positive views of the program, though there are complaints of governmental bureaucracy and inefficiency, as well as insufficient payments to doctors. When the reference to Medicare is removed, a lower but still surprisingly high percentage of people, 53 percent, expressed support for the government offering a health insurance plan.
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 2 of 3 |
