Hm
Congressional Republicans are making a big deal out of repealing health care reform.
What exactly is it that they want to repeal? I know I'm farther left than the GOP, but it's still perplexing which of these provisions they think the American people don't deserve.
- Putting Information for Consumers Online.
- Prohibiting Denying Coverage of Children Based on Pre-Existing Conditions.
- Prohibiting Insurance Companies from Rescinding Coverage.
- Eliminating Lifetime Limits on Insurance Coverage.
- Regulating Annual Limits on Insurance Coverage.
- Appealing Insurance Company Decisions. The law provides consumers with a way to appeal coverage determinations or claims to their insurance company, and establishes an external review process.
- Establishing Consumer Assistance Programs in the States.
- Providing Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credits.
- Offering Relief for 4 Million Seniors Who Hit the Medicare Prescription Drug “Donut Hole.”
- Providing Free Preventive Care.
- Preventing Disease and Illness. A new $15 billion Prevention and Public Health Fund will invest in proven prevention and public health programs that can help keep Americans healthy - from smoking cessation to combating obesity. Funding begins in 2010.
- Cracking Down on Health Care Fraud.
- Providing Access to Insurance for Uninsured Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions.
- Extending Coverage for Young Adults.
- Expanding Coverage for Early Retirees. $5 billion program to provide needed financial help for employment-based plans to continue to provide valuable coverage to people who retire between the ages of 55 and 65, as well as their spouses and dependents.
- Rebuilding the Primary Care Workforce. (scholarships and loan repayments for primary care doctors and nurses working in underserved areas)
- Holding Insurance Companies Accountable for Unreasonable Rate Hikes.
- Allowing States to Cover More People on Medicaid. (federal matching funds)
- Increasing Payments for Rural Health Care Providers.
- Strengthening Community Health Centers.
- Offering Prescription Drug Discounts.
2011
- Providing Free Preventive Care for Seniors.
- Improving Health Care Quality and Efficiency. The law establishes a new Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation that will begin testing new ways of delivering care to patients. These methods are expected to improve the quality of care, and reduce the rate of growth in health care costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Additionally, by January 1, 2011, HHS will submit a national strategy for quality improvement in health care, including by these programs.
- Improving Care for Seniors After They Leave the Hospital.
- Introducing New Innovations to Bring Down Costs.
- Increasing Access to Services at Home and in the Community.
- Bringing Down Health Care Premiums. (requires that at least 80-85% of all premium dollars collected by insurance companies are spent on health care services and health care quality improvement)
- Addressing Overpayments to Big Insurance Companies and Strengthening Medicare Advantage Plans.
2012
- Linking Payment to Quality Outcomes.
- Encouraging Integrated Health Systems.
- Reducing Paperwork and Administrative Costs.
- Understanding and Fighting Health Disparities.
- Providing New, Voluntary Options for Long-Term Care Insurance.
2013
- Improving Preventive Health Coverage.
- Expanding Authority to Bundle Payments.
- Increasing Medicaid Payments for Primary Care Doctors.
2014
- Prohibiting Discrimination Due to Pre-Existing Conditions or Gender.
- Eliminating Annual Limits on Insurance Coverage.
- Ensuring Coverage for Individuals Participating in Clinical Trials.
- Making Care More Affordable. Tax credits to make it easier for the middle class to afford insurance will become available for people with incomes above 133 percent and below 400 percent of poverty ($43,000 for an individual or $88,000 for a family of four in 2010) who are not eligible for or offered other affordable coverage.
- Establishing Health Insurance Exchanges.
- Increasing the Small Business Tax Credit.
- Increasing Access to Medicaid. Americans who earn less than 133 percent of the poverty level (approximately $14,000 for an individual and $29,000 for a family of four) will be eligible to enroll in Medicaid. States will receive 100 percent federal funding for the first three years to support this expanded coverage, phasing to 90 percent federal funding in subsequent years.
- Promoting Individual Responsibility. Under the new law, most individuals who can afford it will be required to obtain basic health insurance coverage or pay a fee to help offset the costs of caring for uninsured Americans. If affordable coverage is not available to an individual, he or she will be eligible for an exemption.
- Ensuring Free Choice.
- Paying Physicians Based on Value Not Volume. (1/1/15)
More information: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/about/order/byyear.html
What exactly is it that they want to repeal? I know I'm farther left than the GOP, but it's still perplexing which of these provisions they think the American people don't deserve.
- Putting Information for Consumers Online.
- Prohibiting Denying Coverage of Children Based on Pre-Existing Conditions.
- Prohibiting Insurance Companies from Rescinding Coverage.
- Eliminating Lifetime Limits on Insurance Coverage.
- Regulating Annual Limits on Insurance Coverage.
- Appealing Insurance Company Decisions. The law provides consumers with a way to appeal coverage determinations or claims to their insurance company, and establishes an external review process.
- Establishing Consumer Assistance Programs in the States.
- Providing Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credits.
- Offering Relief for 4 Million Seniors Who Hit the Medicare Prescription Drug “Donut Hole.”
- Providing Free Preventive Care.
- Preventing Disease and Illness. A new $15 billion Prevention and Public Health Fund will invest in proven prevention and public health programs that can help keep Americans healthy - from smoking cessation to combating obesity. Funding begins in 2010.
- Cracking Down on Health Care Fraud.
- Providing Access to Insurance for Uninsured Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions.
- Extending Coverage for Young Adults.
- Expanding Coverage for Early Retirees. $5 billion program to provide needed financial help for employment-based plans to continue to provide valuable coverage to people who retire between the ages of 55 and 65, as well as their spouses and dependents.
- Rebuilding the Primary Care Workforce. (scholarships and loan repayments for primary care doctors and nurses working in underserved areas)
- Holding Insurance Companies Accountable for Unreasonable Rate Hikes.
- Allowing States to Cover More People on Medicaid. (federal matching funds)
- Increasing Payments for Rural Health Care Providers.
- Strengthening Community Health Centers.
- Offering Prescription Drug Discounts.
2011
- Providing Free Preventive Care for Seniors.
- Improving Health Care Quality and Efficiency. The law establishes a new Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation that will begin testing new ways of delivering care to patients. These methods are expected to improve the quality of care, and reduce the rate of growth in health care costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Additionally, by January 1, 2011, HHS will submit a national strategy for quality improvement in health care, including by these programs.
- Improving Care for Seniors After They Leave the Hospital.
- Introducing New Innovations to Bring Down Costs.
- Increasing Access to Services at Home and in the Community.
- Bringing Down Health Care Premiums. (requires that at least 80-85% of all premium dollars collected by insurance companies are spent on health care services and health care quality improvement)
- Addressing Overpayments to Big Insurance Companies and Strengthening Medicare Advantage Plans.
2012
- Linking Payment to Quality Outcomes.
- Encouraging Integrated Health Systems.
- Reducing Paperwork and Administrative Costs.
- Understanding and Fighting Health Disparities.
- Providing New, Voluntary Options for Long-Term Care Insurance.
2013
- Improving Preventive Health Coverage.
- Expanding Authority to Bundle Payments.
- Increasing Medicaid Payments for Primary Care Doctors.
2014
- Prohibiting Discrimination Due to Pre-Existing Conditions or Gender.
- Eliminating Annual Limits on Insurance Coverage.
- Ensuring Coverage for Individuals Participating in Clinical Trials.
- Making Care More Affordable. Tax credits to make it easier for the middle class to afford insurance will become available for people with incomes above 133 percent and below 400 percent of poverty ($43,000 for an individual or $88,000 for a family of four in 2010) who are not eligible for or offered other affordable coverage.
- Establishing Health Insurance Exchanges.
- Increasing the Small Business Tax Credit.
- Increasing Access to Medicaid. Americans who earn less than 133 percent of the poverty level (approximately $14,000 for an individual and $29,000 for a family of four) will be eligible to enroll in Medicaid. States will receive 100 percent federal funding for the first three years to support this expanded coverage, phasing to 90 percent federal funding in subsequent years.
- Promoting Individual Responsibility. Under the new law, most individuals who can afford it will be required to obtain basic health insurance coverage or pay a fee to help offset the costs of caring for uninsured Americans. If affordable coverage is not available to an individual, he or she will be eligible for an exemption.
- Ensuring Free Choice.
- Paying Physicians Based on Value Not Volume. (1/1/15)
More information: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/about/order/byyear.html