ACA 2020 Gauntlet Thrown Down

[gargantua]

This is a continuation of the Insurance Question thread started by Marti, which evolved into a discussion about the current state of America's Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA, sometimes called Obamacare).

First and foremost, the ACA contains a set of fundamental patient protections for all Americans, the founding principles being to make health care available to everyone and affordable for everyone.

Many people see the ACA repeal issue as a political struggle. Fiscally, this is true. But if you are someone who depends on regular, semi-affordable healthcare, THE ACA LAWS PROTECT YOU. A repeal would legally remove those protections. This is why some feel it should be adjusted/improved in place, rather than repealed.

Today (April 2, 2019), President Trump tweeted "....are developing a really great HealthCare Plan with far lower premiums (cost) & deductibles than ObamaCare. In other words it will be far less expensive & much more usable than ObamaCare. Vote will be taken right after the Election when Republicans hold the Senate & win......"

This is a clarion call. Be you Dem, GOP, or other - your voice matters and will be much more meaningful on the healthcare subject, between now and the 2020 election. Contact your reps. Contact anyone campaigning in your district. Tell them you want your patient protections to remain in place and not be repealed.

More details about patient protections offered under the ACA can be found here:

ACA information on HHS.gov
https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/index.html

Timeline
https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/res...e-care-act-aca

[marti]

Thank you. Good information.

[DPL2014]

You’re awesome, G! Thank you so much for the thorough explanation. It frustrates me to no end how eager some people are to get rid of something that helps us all. Take me and my MS out of the picture and my mom and brother still have type I diabetes and will be affected by repeal of the ACA. No matter who you are you know SOMEONE who has a pre existing condition and depends on the ACA to live. ❤️❤️❤️

[pennstater]

In addition to ACA, the current spending bill on the Hill has big cuts in Medicaid and Medicare over the next 10 years. If interested, the Washington Post has great article summarizing on 3/11/19. I doubt it will get passed, but be vocal.

The Medicaid cuts are driven by moving more control to individual states. Medicare, is under guise of cutting fraud, and payments to hospitals and doctors, reducing prescription costs, etc..

I would feel better if there was something on the table addressing a right to profit versus right to affordable care. Where is the plan to handle spiraling costs? Until that happens, I don't trust that any planning cuts will be felt by big business, hospitals, and the like - it will hit the patient.

So call your elected officials, let them know affordable healthcare with cost minimizing protection of pre-existing conditions is a number one priority and will have alot to do with your next vote, if not control it.

[DorOMA]

Lost a lot

We lost our health care savings account, family dr, my neurologist, and then our insurance company. Once you loose your insurance coverage, everything you have is a preexisting condition.

If you don't read and understand what changes there may be, don't believe a politician. Ask your doctor not and elected official. Remember with the current "fix" they had to pass the it before you can find out what is in it.

[gargantua]

In addition to ACA, the current spending bill on the Hill has big cuts in Medicaid and Medicare over the next 10 years. If interested, the Washington Post has great article summarizing on 3/11/19. I doubt it will get passed, but be vocal.

The Medicaid cuts are driven by moving more control to individual states. Medicare, is under guise of cutting fraud, and payments to hospitals and doctors, reducing prescription costs, etc..

I would feel better if there was something on the table addressing a right to profit versus right to affordable care. Where is the plan to handle spiraling costs? Until that happens, I don't trust that any planning cuts will be felt by big business, hospitals, and the like - it will hit the patient.

So call your elected officials, let them know affordable healthcare with cost minimizing protection of pre-existing conditions is a number one priority and will have alot to do with your next vote, if not control it.

Thanks Kathy!

The thing is, the ACA does address healthcare inflation (an indirect contributor to burgeoning profits, but I'm not an economist). One interesting factoid is that In 2015 under the ACA, health care spending grew at the slowest rate since 1960. Even Insurance industry execs who helped to craft the ACA acknowledged that the cost of health care was going down. But with the removal of the individual mandate in 2017, now without everyone paying into it, that system is broken. Very sad, as our fearless leader would say.

https://obamacarefacts.com/2017/07/1...medical-costs/

[pennstater]

Thanks Kathy!

The thing is, the ACA does address healthcare inflation (an indirect contributor to burgeoning profits, but I'm not an economist). One interesting factoid is that In 2015 under the ACA, health care spending grew at the slowest rate since 1960. Even Insurance industry execs who helped to craft the ACA acknowledged that the cost of health care was going down. But with the removal of the individual mandate in 2017, now without everyone paying into it, that system is broken. Very sad, as our fearless leader would say.

https://obamacarefacts.com/2017/07/1...medical-costs/

Yes, but the underlying profit is not addressed, which is my concern on cost. For all plans, they need to look at controlling costs.


This was an excerpt from your article:.


"FACT: The entire medical care industry has changed to become more profitable for insurance companies, medical device makers, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare conglomerates such as the hospital, residential care, and treatment chains providing specialized services like dialysis. These entities do not have cost controls under the ACA or any other legislation. At some point, care may become unaffordable for those outside systems like Medicare, Medicaid, or the V.A."

[pennstater]

We lost our health care savings account, family dr, my neurologist, and then our insurance company. Once you loose your insurance coverage, everything you have is a preexisting condition.

If you don't read and understand what changes there may be, don't believe a politician. Ask your doctor not and elected official. Remember with the current "fix" they had to pass the it before you can find out what is in it.

I am so sorry to hear of your insurance related problems. I can imagine how disconcerting and frustrating it must be.

I agree it is hard to understand what all the proposals are and what bills get passed. My PCP has been vocal and spoken many times in DC over the last 20 years on problems in healthcare. I trust his opinion.

As confusing as it can be, I do want to know ahead of time where pols stand. If you don't have a plan and strategy to fix, forget my vote.

[palmtree]

The wonderful health care that the current administration is taking about is to let the market handle it. That is what we had before.

The United States has got to accept it that the government needs to take a role in securing health care for the healthy and the sick even if it means, God forbid, that someone on their yacht has to pay taxes.

[gargantua]

I am so sorry to hear of your insurance related problems. I can imagine how disconcerting and frustrating it must be.

I agree it is hard to understand what all the proposals are and what bills get passed. My PCP has been vocal and spoken many times in DC over the last 20 years on problems in healthcare. I trust his opinion.

As confusing as it can be, I do want to know ahead of time where pols stand. If you don't have a plan and strategy to fix, forget my vote.

I hope you will find the time to holler that last part from your rooftop (phone?) at your Senator's office Kathy

Along the lines of healthcare inflation, this promising new cancer drug costs $150K a year.
https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/...em-experts-say

[Mamabug]

The moderators have needed to step in several times on this thread. The original content of the thread is regarding patient protections under the ACA, cost of insurance, etc. These are relevant topics.

**Let's try to keep this thread on topic so everyone can benefit from it.**
**From Guideline #11: Chat Hosts and Message Board Moderators will take the appropriate actions to redirect, stop and/or delete anything that contradicts our mission. An example may include religion and politics that becomes argumentative or ignores our mission at MSWorld.**

[gargantua]

The moderators have needed to step in several times on this thread. The original content of the thread is regarding patient protections under the ACA, cost of insurance, etc. These are relevant topics.

**Let's try to keep this thread on topic so everyone can benefit from it.**
**From Guideline #11: Chat Hosts and Message Board Moderators will take the appropriate actions to redirect, stop and/or delete anything that contradicts our mission. An example may include religion and politics that becomes argumentative or ignores our mission at MSWorld.**

It is not easy to present this in an unbiased way, and there is a lot of misinformation about the whole ACA. Rather than focusing on the fiscal (affordable) parts, maybe it's better to focus on the laws themselves, which protect everyone with health care needs.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-...ouse-bill/3590

[palmtree]

It is not easy to present this in an unbiased way, and there is a lot of misinformation about the whole ACA. Rather than focusing on the fiscal (affordable) parts, maybe it's better to focus on the laws themselves, which protect everyone with health care needs.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-...ouse-bill/3590

Whatever solution you prefer we have reached a point where healthcare is no longer something that can be justly provided without civic participation on a broad scale.

[Boudreaux]

Whatever solution you prefer we have reached a point where healthcare is no longer something that can be justly provided without civic participation on a broad scale.

I don't understand what you are trying to say. Can you explain?

[Myoak]

Palmtree, you make an interesting observation.

To me, it seems that health care has been stretched to the breaking point because of cost. Every aspect of healthcare from drugs to doctors to hospitals to devices has increased at such a rapid pace that no matter what plan is put forth by whom it is destined to fail in providing adequate healthcare at a reasonable cost.

Palmtree, you seem to suggest that only a widespread, all encompassing plan, such as all other developed nations have in a national healthcare plan for all their citizens has any chance to rein in costs and provide reasonable care at a cost that does not bankrupt everyone, especially those with major diseases. If so, you may be right.

Unfortunately, greed has broken the American model of medicine, I believe. The American system produced tremendous advances in medicine and healthcare, I believe. However, the American system is now such that nearly all of us are only one major disease from losing all we built up over a lifetime; most citizens are one major disease from bankruptcy.

Perhaps, Bernie Sanders is right by pushing Medicare for all; perhaps, that is the only plan that will work, I don't know. It appears that is the phrase he uses to mean healthcare for all; national healthcare.

Medicare is a highly successful program that few seniors would want to do without. Perhaps, if there were Medicare for all, gradually everyone would come to feel the same way about it as senior citizens feel.

Healthcare is a heavy cost for industry, also. Perhaps, a national healthcare system would free employers from an enormous burden and make businesses more profitable than ever, I don’t know. But I bet GM, Boeing, and other major employers might very well welcome national healthcare.

It is a tragedy when politicians do everything humanly possible to destroy our present healthcare insurance program rather than work to improve it. But who knows? If accomplished, the demise of the ACA may give rise to something more radical, like Medicare for all.

Personally, I think the ACA would be a better plan for Americans than Medicare for all, but that is just me, and I am willing to listen to every viewpoint about it.

Whatever happens, it is certain nothing lasting or effective will be accomplished unless some common ground is found and is guided by a sense of community. I think that is part of what Palmtree was expressing.