Potential ramifications of election...

[triples15]

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been around much lately, life has taken over as I like to say. Hoping to be around more as things (hopefully) settle down.

Anyway, last night I found myself losing sleep over the likely repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare"). Regardless of which side of aisle you are on (Dem/Rep), the fact is, while riddled with problems, the ACA offered some very critical protections to CFers. The two main ones; Eliminating lifetime caps, and not being able to exclude for pre-existing conditions.

While I never needed an ACA plan, I took great comfort knowing that should my husband lose his job, or heaven forbid something happen to him,I would be able to buy insurance elsewhere without being denied due to a pre-existing condition. It also gave me great peace to know that cost for my care was not capped at 1 or 2 million dollars as it had been in the past. Thinking about the costs of my care now and potentially adding Vertex drugs in the mix, many of us would hit a "lifetime" maximum in one to two years. Then what?!

As we sit around and wait for the ACA to be repealed I think it's important to talk about trying to keep these protections in place moving forward. I'm not really sure what that looks like, maybe writing our state representatives etc. and president elect Donald Trump?

Is anyone else terrified? I guess more than anything, I may just be looking for some hand holding here. I am hoping and praying that when it is repealed it is replaced with something better and keeps protections in place for those of us with serious chronic illness.

Autumn

 

[Ratatosk]

I can't let myself get terrified about it. When DS was first diagnosed cap on costs for care were also 1-2 million. With DS on Orkambi... It is a concern. I guess what keeps me semi-sane is that the same people who were against ACA are also utilizing it -- those who have kids in college who they keep on their insurance til they're 26 among other things or who weren't insurable prior to obamacare because of their pre-existing conditions of diabetes, cancer, etc. And they talk a good game, but are people really going to be okay with eliminating it altogether. I would hope and pray they come up with an alternative plan rather than toss it out all together, otherwise constituents are going to rise up... The CFF has March on the Hill each spring where individuals are able to meet with their senators and representatives to discuss issues. DH went last year and discussed prescription drugs, the importance of funding for research... I'm hoping I'll be able to make the trip this time.

 

[Aboveallislove]

Any replacement plan will include protections for those with pre existing or chronic conditions. It may be funding high risk pools as about 30 states had prior to Obamacare, it may be grandfathering plans, it may be offering a special health Medicaid option as states have, but much of the doom saying is hyperbole by opposing political groups. They won't repeal without a replacement that is publicly viable

 

[Imogene]

important to keep updating..
New York Post

 

[Patti Rowland]

Any replacement plan will include protections for those with pre existing or chronic conditions. It may be funding high risk pools as about 30 states had prior to Obamacare, it may be grandfathering plans, it may be offering a special health Medicaid option as states have, but much of the doom saying is hyperbole by opposing political groups. They won't repeal without a replacement that is publicly viable

How do you know it will include protections for those with a preexisting condition? Who will fight it, which house of Congress? I sure hope you are right but this is a huge win for the insurance companies, not the American people.

 

[Aboveallislove]

Republican plan is on line. Read it. It protects those with pre-existing conditions. I'm a policy wonk for "fun". No plan has been posed by Republicans that doesn't address those with prexisting conditions.

 

[triples15]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

This article just came up in my newsfeed which is interesting.

http://www.kens5.com/mb/ext/news/na...s-richer/273/nationnow/5BgGWYBIkgm4EMeUMWoIKc

Mentions Vertex specifically and says that biotech and pharma are receiving big gains as a result of Trump being elected.

To my original topic, Liza brought up another important aspect of ACA that I had forgotten, being able to stay on a parent's insurance until age 26. Another benefit that I forgot was having your yearly out-of-pocket maximum actually be the maximum amount you pay by having prescriptions copays count toward out-of-pocket. In years past I had met the out-of-pocket max but then still paid $100 per month for Pulmozyme and $50 and $75 for several others.

I sure hope lawmakers are able to keep these protections. I am trying not to be political, but honestly have concerns under a president whose whole life has been about corporations and the bottom dollar. I don't think it bodes well for us. The only thing that gives me hope is older interviews I have seen with Trump where he states that he believes everyone should have access to quality healthcare.

Time will tell.

Autumn

 

[Joe2016]

I think it is a stretch to call what the republicans put online "a plan".

The Huffington Post summarized the problem nicely: “Speaker Paul Ryan wants to replace 20 million people’s health insurance with 37 pages of talking points.”

The plan, which isn’t legislation and is more like a mission statement, lacks the level of detail that would enable a full analysis, but one thing is clear: If put in place, it would almost surely mean fewer people with health insurance, fewer people getting financial assistance for their premiums or out-of-pocket costs, and fewer consumer protections than the ACA provides.
*
It’s difficult to be certain, because the proposal, which House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will talk up at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington on Wednesday, lacks crucial information, like estimates of its costs and effects on how many people will have health coverage.
*
The document weighs in at 37 pages, which includes the cover, three full pages about how terrible Obamacare is, and two blank sheets.

 

[Aboveallislove]

Joe,
You are right...it isn't legislation. It is a plan. And the plan clearly lays out how to handle prexisting conditions. Saying it wants to replace 20 million people's health insurance is a talking point.
Obamacare Hurt many many people. Maybe not those with CF. Will a replacement hurt some. Probably. There is no perfect answer. But hyperbole doesn't help anyone.

And Autumn... I agree re Trump. But thankfully he isn't writing anything. And thankfully those who are recognize and have a plan to address the problems. Translating the plan into legislation will come, but the point of my response was to point out that prexisting conditions will be addressed.

And Vertex are up because Hillary was trashing pharma. If Republicans were going to cut off those with prexisting conditions it would be down because no one would have insurance to buy.

 

[Joe2016]

You say, "Obamacare hurt many many people." Hyperbole does not help anyone.
Obamacare gave insurance to 20 million people 90% of whom pay very little in premiums due to susidies. Most Americans spend more on beer and cigarettes in a month than they do on Obamacare premiums.
Obamacare is far from perfect but republicans long ago decided not to be a part of the solution but instead to be its enemy.
Why is it that 8 years ago when Obama won the first election, before he even took office, Republicans said their number one goal was to make him a one term president.
When Trump won Democrats immediately said they want to support him and want to make him successful now that he is president elect. It's clear which party puts people first and which party puts the party first.
When in history have the repubicans every founded, supported or expanded a social program? Social security? Medicare? SCHIP? SSDI?

 

[Imogene]

From the BBC:

US President-elect Donald Trump has said in an interview he is open to leaving intact key parts of President Barack Obama's healthcare bill.
Mr Trump, who has pledged repeatedly to repeal the 2010 law, signalled he was receptive to a compromise after visiting the White House on Thursday.
He told the Wall Street Journal he favours keeping two main parts of the bill because "I like those very much".
One is a ban on insurers denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

 

[Imogene]

http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37953528

 

[hughhh]

https://www.greatagain.gov/policy/healthcare.html

To maximize choice and create a dynamic market for health insurance, the Administration will work with Congress to enable people to purchase insurance across state lines. The Administration also will work with both Congress and the States to re-establish high-risk pools – a proven approach to ensuring access to health insurance coverage for individuals who have significant medical expenses and who have not maintained continuous coverage.

In other words you might not be denied for pre-existing conditions, but you might have higher (how much?) premiums. In his plan for the first 100 days, http://www.npr.org/2016/11/10/501597652/fact-check-donald-trumps-first-100-days-action-plan

5. Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act. Fully repeals Obamacare and replaces it with Health Savings Accounts, the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines, and let states manage Medicaid funds. Reforms will also include cutting the red tape at the FDA: there are over 4,000 drugs awaiting approval, and we especially want to speed the approval of life-saving medications.

Scott Horsley, NPR White House Correspondent's remark about this:

The GOP Congress has already demonstrated its willingness to repeal the insurance tax subsidies and Medicaid expansion portions of the Affordable Care Act, along with the requirement that all Americans have health insurance, using a fast-track legislative maneuver known as “reconciliation” that prevents a Democratic filibuster. President Obama vetoed that measure, but President-elect Trump would presumably sign it. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that could strip health insurance coverage from more than 20 million people -- although the change would most likely be phased in over a couple of years. Trump’s replacement plan is less clear. Health savings accounts would allow more people to buy insurance with pre-tax dollars, and selling insurance across state lines might increase competition and reduce prices. But coverage will very likely remain out of reach for many. The requirement that insurance companies provide coverage to people with pre-existing conditions cannot be repealed through reconciliation. But preserving that requirement without the individual mandate to purchase insurance could create a costly situation in which people wait until they’re sick to buy coverage.

 

[Joe2016]

I saw that too and while it is a little reassuring, it is impossible to keep the positives without the inseparable negatives. Trump acknowledged that those positives come with elevated costs in his 60 minutes interview to be aired this evening. Assuming Trump does not cave to the Tea Party and scrap Obamacare totally, we will see how much Trumpcare looks just like Obamacare.

No one died because of Obamacare, however, without it or a suitable replacement/amendment people like CFers or cancer patients will die.

 

[Imogene]

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/11/1...the-popular-parts-of-obamacare-wont-work.html

 

[Imogene]

http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-news/

 

[pawsit]

I'm curious about the changes to come. As is, my husband and I are on AFA as we are self-employed (and get NO subsidie assistance). I've known all along that in the long run it just wasn't sustainable for the insurance companies. We've struggled to pay the high premiums, but have gotten by because the coverage was great - in the beginning. Each year the premiums have increased, but we managed. This year however, we got notice that our premiums would go up over $1,000 per month. We are going from 1700/month to 2700/month in premiums alone. Along with this was increased deductibles and a list of meds that would no longer be covered. We can't afford this increase so we're definitely going to have to make changes - I don't know what yet, but it's sad that with med prices so astronomical, even a less expensive monthly premium may cost longer in the increased proportion of specialty med prices we'll have to pay. I had a state run high risk pool type insurance before and went without a lot of meds because of the costs/limits in coverage. Hopefully Pres-Elect Trump can come up with a plan that will help.

 

[jricci]

Thought I'd pass along an e-mail that I received today from CFF requesting that the CF community send an e-mail to their Congressperson asking them to protect our healthcare coverage.

http://act.cff.org/ccfpeUx?resetcookie=1

A message from the CFF:

You may have heard that this week, Congress is considering a budget resolution that will allow lawmakers to make changes to the current health care system. As they discuss this resolution, Congress needs to hear that the cystic fibrosis community needs access to high-quality, specialized care and adequate, affordable health insurance.

Tell your Congressperson what quality, affordable health coverage means for you and your family. Your personal story is one of the most effective tools you have to help your member of Congress learn about CF and the importance of health coverage.

As always, the Foundation will be advocating for the CF community’s needs through in-depth policy analysis, government and organizational outreach, and community education and mobilization. We will be sure to keep you informed as this process moves forward.
Tell Congress to Protect Your Coverage
Sincerely,

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

This link gives you a form letter that you can add your personal story to or you can send by itself.

http://act.cff.org/ccfpeUx?resetcookie=1

 

[triples15]

Thought I'd pass along an e-mail that I received today from CFF requesting that the CF community send an e-mail to their Congressperson asking them to protect our healthcare coverage.

http://act.cff.org/ccfpeUx?resetcookie=1

A message from the CFF:

You may have heard that this week, Congress is considering a budget resolution that will allow lawmakers to make changes to the current health care system. As they discuss this resolution, Congress needs to hear that the cystic fibrosis community needs access to high-quality, specialized care and adequate, affordable health insurance.

Tell your Congressperson what quality, affordable health coverage means for you and your family. Your personal story is one of the most effective tools you have to help your member of Congress learn about CF and the importance of health coverage.

As always, the Foundation will be advocating for the CF community’s needs through in-depth policy analysis, government and organizational outreach, and community education and mobilization. We will be sure to keep you informed as this process moves forward.
Tell Congress to Protect Your Coverage
Sincerely,

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

This link gives you a form letter that you can add your personal story to or you can send by itself.

http://act.cff.org/ccfpeUx?resetcookie=1

Excellent, thanks J!