Will Obamacare affect CFers and their medicine negatively?

[Printer]

Turtle:

In the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act, they allowed any State Governor to opt out or portions of this health plan. Both the Governor of Texas and the Governor of South Carolina chose to opt out. There will be a new Governor of South Carolina who will chose to opt in.

The cost of the Affordable Care Act in states where the Governors chose to opt in, are much lower. Check the reduction of costs in California, for example.

Bill

 

[Aboveallislove]

Only medicaid expansion can be opted out of, so that only impacts the cost for those who could qualify for the expanded medicaid. The opt out doesn't impact the cost of all insurance. The states which already heavily regulate insurance have the smallers increases or even decreases, but states which do not are having the biggest increases. There are many many factors at play which determine if you are better off or worse off under ACA.

My biggest fear for CFers is that they don't catch the fine print on networks and have no accreditted CF Centers or CF doctors within the network they choose. This is sooooo important to know and check out!

 

[Printer]

welchwitch:

All plans covering people with individual coverage and those employed by smaller companies (those with fewer than 50 employees) will be required to including the following Essential Health Benefits:

Pediatric services, including dental and vision care.

Ambulatory (outpatient) Services

Hospitalization

Maternity and newborn care

Mental health and substance abuse disorder services

Prescription drugs

Rehabilitative services and devices

Laboratory services

Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management


If a policy doesn't meet the above standard will not qualify under the Affordable Care Act, unless that plan is "grandfathered" as dictated by the actual ACA Bill and had been purchased prior to the Presidents signing of this legislation. There is an exception, also written into the ACA. If the policy "changes substantially" (15% or greater increase in premium cost or 15% or greater increase in co-pays) it will lose its "grandfather" standing.

There are three reasons that a Insurance Company can cancel an existing policy.

1) The policy was purchased after the President signed the ACA.
2) The Insurance Company has increased costs exceeding the approved limit.
3) The (junk policy) does not meet the minimum requirements of the ACA (see above)

Bill

 

[welshwitch]

This is great info, thanks Printer.

 

[Printer]

THE ACA IS A GODSEND FOR CF (and other) PATIENTS

Everyone who applies for health insurance and pays the premiums is guaranteed coverage.

Those who need more care - such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage or have their pre-existing conditions excluded.

Individuals with a health condition or pregnant women cannot be charged more than others for their care.

As long as you pay your insurance bill:
Your insurance cannot be cancelled
There will no longer be yearly limits on the dollar amount of most medical benefits
If you already have an illness or medical condition, insurance companies will not be able to keep you from getting insurance or charge you more for coverage
All new health plans will have to offer unlimited yearly and lifetime coverage