Health Care
U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., convened yesterday with Dr. Gary Puckrein, president and CEO of the National Minority Quality Forum, to stress the importance of considering the barriers to healthcare people still face throughout the country.
It's 1843 and your son has a fever. It's been getting worse for days and you know he needs help. So, you get on your horse, pull him up and start riding. After miles and miles, you finally reach the only doctor in the county in a desperate attempt to get care for your child. This story would be exactly the same if it were told in 212 B.C., 873, 1564 and even well into the 1900s.
In 2019, too many patients are still forced to do the same thing. This time, instead of a horse, it might be a car or bus, if you're lucky enough to own one or afford the fare.
Obamacare and Healthcare Providers
- The Affordable Care Act will help more patients access the treatment services and prescription drugs that you prescribe.
- The Affordable Care Act will help more patients obtain services in medically appropriate settings.
- Established the Community Health Center Fund that provides $11 billion over a period of five years for the operation, expansion, and construction of health centers.
- Included health care workforce initiatives to increase the number of providers available to serve patients nationwide.
ACA and Illinois
- Currently, more than 1.4 million Illinois residents or 13% of Illinois's non-elderly population is uninsured. The Affordable Care Act will provide those who are uninsured as well as those who are underinsured with access to private health plans through Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace or Medicaid.
The Affordable Care Act and People with Existing Insurance
- Insurers must spend at least 80% of your premium dollars on medical care or quality improvements.
The Affordable Care Act Implementation Schedule
- Insurers can no longer drop your coverage when you become sick.
- Insurers can no longer apply lifetime benefit limits to your coverage.
- Insurers may only apply modified annual benefit limits to your coverage.
- Insurers can no longer discriminate against children up to age 19 with preexisting conditions.
- Insurers must spend at least 80% of your premium dollars on health care or quality improvement.
- Insurers must publicly justify rate increases of 10%
The Affordable Care Act : People with Preexisting Conditions
- Insurers can no longer deny coverage or charge higher premiums for preexisting conditions.
- Insurers can no longer apply lifetime benefit limits on your coverage.
- Insurers can only apply modified annual benefit limits on your coverage. Beginning in 2014, insurers are prohibited from applying any annual limits on your benefits.
The Affordable Care Act: Seniors
- The Affordable Care Act doesn't require seniors to do anything through the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace. Medicare beneficiaries will continue to use medicare.gov or 1-800-Medicare for Medicare Part D open enrollment from October 15 through December 7 and any other Medicare questions or concerns.
- Reduces prescription drug costs for seniors. Since the health care law was enacted, more than 6.6 million seniors in the Medicare Part D 'donut hole' coverage gap have saved over $7 billion on prescription drugs.
The Affordable Care Act: Small Businesses, Non-profits
- The Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) allows small businesses and small nonprofits to compare and purchase coverage options on October 1, 2013 for coverage that can begin as early as January 1, 2014.