The Benefits of Reform:
Health Care Reform’s Impact on You and Your Family
Health care reform offers American families the promise of affordable, stable coverage. System reform will help lower health care costs for families and businesses throughout the nation.
Here are eight ways reform matters to you and your family:
1. Reform builds on a family’s current coverage and allows individuals and their health care providers to make health care decisions.
2. Reform means a family’s health care expenses will decrease.
3. Reform Protects Medicare Benefits.
4. Reform means the hundreds of thousands of Americans with pre-existing conditions will have their health care covered.
5. Reform means a new focus on preventing illness before it strikes.
6. Reform means American families will no longer face gender discrimination.
7. Reform Means Extended Coverage for Young Americans.
8. Reform means American families cannot be denied coverage if a family member gets sick.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that Sen. Reid’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act expands coverage by nearly 31 million Americans, meaning coverage of nonelderly Americans would increase from 83 percent to 94 percent. The CBO also notes that the number of people obtaining coverage through their employer would decline by about 5 million, causing few disruptions for the 160 million Americans with employer coverage. [CBO Letter to Sen. Reid]
PolitiFact.com “found nothing in the proposals so far that would force people off their current coverage into a government-run plan.” [PolitFact.com]
According to leading MIT health care economist Jonathan Gruber’s analysis, the Senate Health Care Reform bill would reduce individual and family premiums. Gruber found the Senate’s bill would reduce health care costs by up to 20 percent and “for those facing purchase in the non-group market, the Senate bill will deliver savings ranging from $200 for singles to $500 for families in today’s dollars – even without subsidies.” [The Senate Bill Lowers Non-Group Premiums: Updated for New CBO Estimates]
On Dec. 3, 2009, the Senate passed an amendment by a 100-0 vote that would “protect and improve guaranteed Medicare benefits.” As a result of the successful amendment now reads, “Nothing in the provisions of, or amendments made by, this Act shall result in a reduction of guaranteed benefits under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.”
Additionally, according to the non-partisan CBO, the Senate bill establishes an Independent Medicare Advisory Board, which would be required, under certain circumstances, to recommend changes to the Medicare program to limit the rate of growth in that program’s spending. The provision would place a number of limitations on the actions available to the board, including a prohibition against modifying eligibility or benefits. [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; CBO Letter to Sen. Reid]
The non-partisan CBO reported that under Sen. Reid’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, “Policies purchased through the exchanges (or directly from insurers) would have to meet several requirements: In particular, insurers would have to accept all applicants, could not limit coverage for preexisting medical conditions, and could not vary premiums to reflect differences in enrollees’ health.” [CBO Letter to Sen. Reid]
According to the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation, the Senate Health Care Reform bill eliminates preventive care cost-sharing for Medicare, Medicaid and approved plan recipients. Kaiser says the bill, “Improve[s] prevention by covering only proven preventive services and eliminating cost-sharing for preventive services in Medicare and Medicaid.” Additionally, it “require[s] qualified health plans to provide coverage without cost-sharing for preventive services rated A or B by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, recommended immunizations, and preventive care for infants, children and adolescents.” [Kaiser Family Foundation]
According to McClatchy Newspapers, on Dec. 3, 2009, the Senate approved an amendment that “would end the practice of basing rates on gender, which now is permitted in most states.” The plan, offered by Sen. Mikulski, was supported by 56 Democrats, two independents and three Republicans. “There would be no co-payments for most screening services, and covered services would include those ‘supported by’ the federal government's Health Resources and Services Administration, which works to provide greater access to health care, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” according to McClatchy. “Covered services are expected to include annual mammograms for women older than 50, cervical cancer screenings, pregnancy and postpartum depression screenings, and annual women's health care screenings.” [McClatchy Newspapers]
“Comprehensive health reform proposals now before Congress could help the more than 13 million uninsured young adults ages 19-29 gain coverage, and such reforms would also help ensure that those who now have coverage would not lose it,” according to the nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund. Additionally, Reuters reported dependents would be covered until age 26. [The Commonwealth Fund, Reuters]
The Associated Press reported, “The House-passed bill would bar insurance companies from denying coverage to sick people starting in 2013. A bill being debated in the Senate would do so in 2014.” [Associated Press]
To learn more about the legislative proposals being discussed in Washington, click here.
To contact your member of Congress and take action in support of health reform, click here.
