WTF Has Obama Done? - Issue No. 002 - Health Care Reform

Yesterday we looked at funding and targeted actions involving Civil Rights issues the President achieved over the last 3 years.  We will be going back to that in the future, but today we will focus on Health Care Reform.

As you are aware, not many republicans are happy with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, but unbeknownst to many of  you, it has actually helped save hundreds of lives already.  Patients with cancer or other pre-existing conditions are now being seen, when they were never given the opportunity to begin with.  Hell, Ron Paul is telling us we need to find a local church that can offer us healthcare assistance. As if churches could give every American money.  If that was the case we would all be going to church on Sundays.

We will go back to "Obamacare," as Republicans like to call it, at a later time.  For now let's focus on WTF-4...

WTF-4 

Requiring large employers to contribute to a national health plan. - During the campaign, President Barack Obama said that large employers would have to offer their workers health insurance or contribute toward the costs of a national plan. This type of requirement is usually called an employer mandate.

But the final version of the health care law requires a contribution from employers, but it's not a straightforward mandate. Instead, the law states that large employers have to pay fines if any of their workers qualify for public subsidies. [Reference]

WTF-5  

Requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. - Requiring insurance companies to accept people with pre-existing conditions is one of the cornerstones of the health care reform bill passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010.

The issue is addressed in Section 2704 of the bill, which states very clearly, "A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage may not impose any pre-existing condition exclusion with respect to such plan."

And Section 2705 spells the prohibition out in even more detail:

"A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage may not establish rules for eligibility (including continued eligibility) of any individual to enroll under the terms of the plan or coverage based on any of the following health status-related factors in relation to the individual or a dependent of the individual: health status; medical condition (including both physical and mental illnesses); claims experience; receipt of health care; medical history; genetic information; evidence of insurability (including conditions arising out of acts of domestic violence); disability; any other health status-related factor determined appropriate by the Secretary." [Reference 1, Reference 2]

WTF-6  

Requiring health plans to disclose how much of the premium goes to patient care. - Under section 2718, health insurance providers are required to report how much they spend on payments for clinical coverage, activities that improve health care quality, and "all other non-claims costs." The provider must also include an explanation of the nature of these costs. The law mandates that the information be available on the Department of Health and Human Services website.

Starting in 2011, companies that provide insurance for the small group and individual market must issue rebates if they do not spend at least 80 percent of the premium revenue on medical care. For the large group market, the threshold is 85 percent. The rebate amount is based on the premium revenue and by how much the provider falls short of the prescribed thresholds.

We wanted to point out this additional proof that President Obama kept his promise. The rating remains unchanged. [Reference]

Please make sure to read Issue No. 002 tomorrow as I continue with  
WTF-7