Obamacare: Does it affect/will it affect your treatment?

The lifetime max has been lifted. Hurrah. Also, if it stays in effect I won't have to worry about being denied insurance coverage due to my pre-existing condition. Both of these are huge.

I have't experienced any effects, but I believe it is a good move toward, hopefully, single payer. I have excellent insurance and can't complain one iota about my care. However, there are so many who are not similarly blessed. We need to help everyone by making health care available, no matter what an individual's circumstances.

Paula, I'm not totally sure, but I don't think they can drop you under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacares). Yours is another example of why we desperately need national health care.

As far as I know, there are no fines for not providing retiree insurance; fines are for companies with more than 50 employees who do not provide insurance and have an employee receiving a government subsidy for insurance.  Obamacare did provide subsidies to companies that provide retirement health insurance for early retirees (i.e., not eligible for Medicare), but that money is pretty much gone unless Congress decides to fund it (fat chance!).  If you are over 65, or have Medicare because of a disability, there is the added benefit of gradually closing the "donut hole" in paying for prescription drugs.

Janet 

I just turned 58. I have my husband's policy, and my own right now. If I relapse, and I don't have my policy, I won't be able to afford what my husband's policy won't pick up.  (The co-payment)  When Obama care becomes in effect, my company will cease offering healthcare to retirees. They want us to purchase healthcare on our own. Which is terrible.  We lost our savings when the crash happened, our sons , aged 22 & 19 had jobs fall through, and years of unemployment, for our oldest, has left us in a world of hurt. When my husband retires, he won't have healthcare either. 

My "affordable healthcare" is 340.00 a month for just myself, plus a 4500.00 deductable that starts over every january.

Paula, I hate when these companies offer early retirement and then reneg on their committment. (we've also seen companies raid the pension funds. boo!) I wonder if anyone is talking a class-action lawsuit or ? FWIW, I used to work for AT&T, so I googled around to learn a bit more. I found an article from 2004 that showed that AT&T was already looking for ways to slash retiree healthcare benefits, so it sounds like this has (unfortunately) been something they've been thinking about for a long time.  

I have a couple of friends from Europe and they can't believe our healthcare system and how it's tied so closely to our jobs, and how much control employers can have. In their countries, no one gets thrown out on the street when they lose their job, etc. Hopefully we'll get to a place where it's more equitable for everyone.

Personally, I'm glad we've lifted the lifetime max and that, come 2014, we can't be denied insurance (or charged more) due to a pre-existing condition.

Paula, I kind of had a similiar situation. I was a city employee in wi & eventually forced into resigning at 26 mind you, because of needing time off for surgeries, hospitalizations, etc. and fmla ran out. Needless to say I needed something & my husbands work didn't offer insurance. I applied to many and was denied. Finally fed up paying for everything and went to an insuarnce agent last spring at age 28. They helped me get insurance thru HIRSP. Which is insurance thru the govt I think similair to medicare that is a high risk group sharing plan that you can only get when denied so many times and aren't able to get medicare. I would maybe see if they have something like that available in your state.

That youtube makes no sense.  First of all, why is a Radiologist even recommending "screening" mammograms? Usually that is a PCP or GYN or where I live, can be self-directed.

This is demogogery. The guidelines she mentioned were one option studied by the US Preventive Services Task Force, but are not part of the ACA.  In fact, the ACA law requires screening mammograms to be fully covered by insurance companies as a preventative service and at the discretion of the patient and doctor.

how do I find out how to get this Obama Care????

I still can't believe we're tying healthcare to having a job.....or even having the discussion. This is an abomination. I wonder what the US mortality rate is for people who have "no" health insurance. Does anyone account for it?

I am so grateful I currently have health ins. but can't imagine having cancer, heart disease or whatever without it. The stress alone would kill anyone. 

I think ACA is in line with how we've evolved in the US - not having pensions or permanent employment stability which used to be the standard. Healthcare just lagged all these other changes.

Prior to the affordable care act, as long as your daugher was in school full time, most plans allowed her to be carried until December 31st of the year in which she turned 23.  So, it extended it a couple of years, but did not create a new benefit. 

You're also paying for the "free" perks your daughter gets as part of your premium and high deductible. 

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/ElectionCoverage/35121

Healthcare Takes Stage in First Debate

Anderson noted that the U.S. is "the only country in the industrialized world that relies on for-profit insurance companies to provide healthcare for our citizens." In addition, "we're paying twice as much per capita [for healthcare] as the rest of the industrialized world, and getting the worst medical outcomes."

Stein noted that both Obama and Romney "are aiming for the same targets ... they want Medicare to be reduced to 3.2% of the Gross Domestic Product."

Neither Anderson nor Stein are fans of the ACA. Stein noted that she lives in Massachusetts, where "We've seen the Affordable Care Act in the flesh, and it's neither affordable nor caring ... it provides stripped-down plans which are fairly expensive."

Anderson said that the answer to the healthcare cost dilemma is "Medicare for everybody; make it a single-payer system. ... Let's get private insurers out of the way."

Just to clarify, kids were only covered under thier parents plan if they were full time students until they were 21.  Now it is 26 without being a full time student.  That's a big change.  As far women getting their annual exams covered, I would never consider that a free 'perk.' I pay over $450 a month for insurance coverage with a $10,000 deductible.  Wouldn't you think the insurance comapny should cover something?  What is it for if you just pay and don't get any benefits?  Well now they at least have to cover that as well as birth control pills. The 'Obama Care' as it has come to be called has a lot of changes.  And in my opinon, they are all good.  Single payer would be great, but I think that's something that we need to work toward. 

http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/rights/cancellations/index.html

 This part of the Affordable Care Act doesn't apply for me but I know others that this has been really important in helping.