Insurance question

[marti]

Not trying to bring politics in here. Just wondering if we should be concerned about our insurance and our pre existing conditions yet??

[Mamabug]

Not trying to bring politics in here. Just wondering if we should be concerned about our insurance and our pre existing conditions yet??

I try not to be concerned for myself personally. My insurance coverage is through my husband's employer, and they offered some of the benefits of ACA long before ACA was in effect. I am, however, concerned for others. IMO, health insurance should be affordable and attainable for everyone.

[MermaidOP]

Dear Marti,
I certainly am concerned. I am on Medicare, but spend a lot of money on supplemental insurance and Plan D drug coverage. Coverage for pre-existing conditions is essential for me: MS, cancer, asthma, and on and on. But I don't know what I can do to prevent even this expensive scheme from collapsing. I try not to become too anxious.

I have had to turn to less effective, compounded versions of my MS symptomatic medicines because of cost. With Medicare Plan D, special medicines seem to get a classification tier with a high copay. I would like to try the new (and first) SPMS DMT, Mayvent, but I fear no Plan D will cover enough of the cost.

Thank you for posting.

Stay lifted,
Mermaid Susan

[gargantua]

Take Civic Action

I try not to be concerned for myself personally. My insurance coverage is through my husband's employer, and they offered some of the benefits of ACA long before ACA was in effect. I am, however, concerned for others. IMO, health insurance should be affordable and attainable for everyone.

Good points Mama. The ACA definitely benefits small business owners and those ineligible for large employer group plans.

But the ACA includes patient protections for everyone with health insurance. https://www.healthcare.gov/health-ca...d-protections/

A few highlights:
- Health insurance must be available to everyone.
- Insurance companies can’t charge discriminatory premiums to people with health issues.
- Insurance companies can't cap the amount of coverage available to insured.

Individual Mandate Repeal
"Obamacare" also mandated everyone to have health insurance, providing a way to keep medical costs down for everyone.

In 2016 that trend was permanently broken with the repeal of the individual mandate. This also legally set the stage for total repeal of ACA patient protections.

In 2015 under the ACA, health care spending grew at the slowest rate since 1960
https://obamacarefacts.com/2017/07/1...medical-costs/

If you do review the above URL, note that the White House has removed the page illustrating the positive impact on health costs under the ACA as of 2015. https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/def...embargo_v2.pdf

Anyway, Congress has narrowly rejected an ACA repeal twice. So at the request of the White House, the decision is again with the DOJ. It will likely end up in the Supreme Court for a third time, where the ACA has been backed in two previous cases under different justices.

If you support the ACA and patient protections:

Contact your elected officials - your feedback makes a difference
Tell staff who answer that you support the ACA patient protections, and that you will remember what Congressman or Senator X is doing to support it, should they run for office again. Their staff will note your feedback.

Contact numbers for your reps:
https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Write a letter or call the Department of Justice (why not?)
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

The Department may be contacted by phone at the following:
* Department Comment Line: 202-353-1555
* Department of Justice Main Switchboard: 202-514-2000
* TTY/ASCII/TDD: 800-877-8339 (or Federal IP Relay Service)

[Seasha]

Thank you gargantua for doing this homework for us Now we can and should write or call!

[its2much]

Sample Letter

It is extremely difficult for me to put anything in writing due to my cognitive issues. Where can one find a sample letter to send to our representatives regarding this?
Thanks!

[gargantua]

Thank you gargantua for doing this homework for us Now we can and should write or call!

I hope it helps. Feedback from us is so important.

Here is a statement made jointly with the National MS Society in the US, after the ACA was overturned in a lower court in December 2018.

https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Ab...trict-Court-Ru

Never let anyone tell you the ACA is a disaster. It has only been made so through the recent dismantling of its key cost-saving components.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/201...iple-Sclerosis

[Mamabug]

It is extremely difficult for me to put anything in writing due to my cognitive issues. Where can one find a sample letter to send to our representatives regarding this?
Thanks!

I prefer to make phone calls and I love this website to keep me up-to-date on current issues. Put in your zip code for contact information. I choose to call my local phone numbers, rather than the Washington ones.

You can probably use the information, Its2much, to put together a letter if you prefer that.

https://5calls.org/more/

[Seasha]

Here's an idea- https://www.writeexpress.com/How-to-...-Congress.html

I usually get something from the NMSS with a pre-formed email to sign, but according to the above article, it's more effective to write a letter and not use the standard form -

"3. Make your letter personal.
Keep your letter unique; don’t just copy a form letter and send it. Sending one hundred (or even one million) copies of the same letter is not an effective way to communicate the real concerns of real people."

JMO - either way is good or call. Most importantly, it's up to us to communicate and make our voices/concerns known.

[gargantua]

It is extremely difficult for me to put anything in writing due to my cognitive issues. Where can one find a sample letter to send to our representatives regarding this?
Thanks!

Here's a start.

---------------------------------------
Dear NAME OF YOUR REPRESENTATIVE,

As your constituent, I thank you for your service on my behalf.

I support the ACA and all of the patient protections it provides.

- All Americans must have access to good health insurance
- Good healthcare should affordable for all Americans
- Insurance coverage will not be capped for any American

NAME OF YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, I and other Americans are watching your actions on this issue, should you run for office again. Please preserve all of our patient protections under the ACA.

Thank you,

YOUR NAME

[Mamabug]

... it's more effective to write a letter and not use the standard form -

"3. Make your letter personal.
Keep your letter unique; don’t just copy a form letter and send it. Sending one hundred (or even one million) copies of the same letter is not an effective way to communicate the real concerns of real people."

JMO - either way is good or call. Most importantly, it's up to us to communicate and make our voices/concerns known.

I agree. Whether you write a letter or make a phone call, it is more effective to use your own words.

I often start with a question on where my house member or senator stands on the issue (even if I think I know the answer). I follow that with my perspective, often drawing heavily from the 5calls website, and I add something personal about why this issue is important to me.

[marti]

Wow! I am so glad I asked this question. I hesitated at first.

Do our calls and letters actually make a difference and get to the right people who can help? I've always had so many doubts about adding my voice.

Thank you ALL for the wonderful suggestions and answers!! Well worth asking my stupid question!!

[gargantua]

Thanks Marti!

It's true that personal messages are meaningful, but if it's a trade off between taking the time to write something personal and making the gesture, make the gesture by all means.

Most effective: Mail to the rep's Washington DC Office
Next-most effective: Phone calls to the rep's Washington DC Office

[Mamabug]

Most effective: Mail to the rep's Washington DC Office
Next-most effective: Phone calls to the rep's Washington DC Office

I've read something different. But, if an issue is important to you, do something. Something is better than nothing.

- Most effective:
"Calling members of Congress is the most effective way to have your voice heard. Calls are tallied by staffers and the count is given to your representatives, informing them how strongly their constituents feel about a current issue. The sooner you reach out, the more likely it is that your voice will influence their position."
"Can't I send an email / fax / letter / postcard instead? Nope. Phone calls are tallied right away, so they have by far the most immediate impact. Faxes these days are typically rendered digitally via email. Emails and postal mail must be read, batched by issue and THEN tallied. Physical letters and postcards – yes, postcards too – may also be quarantined for safety inspections. (And if you think all that happens quickly, it …doesn’t.)"

- Washington office vs state office:
"Consider calling the local office.
Calling the office in your district or state, rather than the Washington office, can sometimes be very effective. If you are calling about a vote or other timely issues, always call the Washington office.
But, if you are calling generally about an issue that affects your district or community, calling the local office can be a good way to make them aware of an issue."

[gargantua]

I've read something different. But, if an issue is important to you, do something. Something is better than nothing.

- Most effective:
"Calling members of Congress is the most effective way to have your voice heard. Calls are tallied by staffers and the count is given to your representatives, informing them how strongly their constituents feel about a current issue. The sooner you reach out, the more likely it is that your voice will influence their position."
"Can't I send an email / fax / letter / postcard instead? Nope. Phone calls are tallied right away, so they have by far the most immediate impact. Faxes these days are typically rendered digitally via email. Emails and postal mail must be read, batched by issue and THEN tallied. Physical letters and postcards – yes, postcards too – may also be quarantined for safety inspections. (And if you think all that happens quickly, it …doesn’t.)"

- Washington office vs state office:
"Consider calling the local office.
Calling the office in your district or state, rather than the Washington office, can sometimes be very effective. If you are calling about a vote or other timely issues, always call the Washington office.
But, if you are calling generally about an issue that affects your district or community, calling the local office can be a good way to make them aware of an issue."

Yes Mama I switched them around. Calling is definitely more effective (and timely) than mailing. This is especially if you are voicing your opinion in the days before an upcoming vote on the House or Senate floor. In that case you should definitely contact the Washington DC office, so your opinion is noted before the vote.

On this issue they aren't voting, so they will be getting a lot of longer personal communication in their local offices. Let's go for it!

If enough people are unhappy about something, the rep will act accordingly in order to keep their job!

2019 News/Analysis
I have been looking for analysis to help us feel better this week. Finally CNN (not everyone's favorite resource) came through. It is interesting to see that even Blue Shield's main government liaison thinks the ACA is pretty decent.

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