BENEFIT OPTIONS, LLC

 

 

 

 

GET THE FACTS:

www.Factcheck.org is a non-partisan Web site run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, which has several articles debunking common misconceptions about the health-care reform plan. 

White House staffers and others respond to opponents' charges at www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/

 

Some things you should know about the 1,000 page proposed House bill on health reform:

  •  It will take until 2018 to get all the components of the bill up and running
  •  The uninsured won't be covered until 2013 (after the 2010 and 2012 elections)
  •  The bill creates a brand new federal bureaucracy: the Health Choices Administration
  •  In 2011 the government starts collecting higher taxes on upper income people to pay for the overhaul.
  •  In 2010 the government sets up a Health Advisory Committee led by the Surgeon General to recommend a basic benefits package.
  •  In 2011 the Committee unveils a recommended package for adoption by the HHS Dept.
  •  In 2012 (a presidential election year), low income seniors get additional financial assistance with prescription drug plans.
  •  In 2013 insurance companies are barred from including a pre existing condition limitation. A health Insurance Exchange is established including an option for a government sponsored plan with premiums estimated at 10% lower than private plans.
  •  In 2014 the exchange is expanded to include companies up to 20 employees and people who can't afford premiums under their employer's plan.
  •  In 2015 the government decides whether to open the health insurance exchange and the government sponsored plan to all employers
  •  In 2018 employers who provide coverage outside the exchange must offer at least the same basic benefits available through the government pool.
    Government-Run Health Care May Mean Waiting In Line...PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO CLIP: 

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/08/03/government-run_health_care_may_mean_waiting_in_line.html

Governor David A. Paterson signed into law three Governor's Program bills that will make health insurance more affordable and improve access to health care for New Yorkers. The first extends the period of time for COBRA coverage from 18 to 36 months; the second permits families to cover their young adult dependents through age 29 under their job-based insurance; and the third enacts a series of managed care reforms to make health insurance work better for consumers and permit timely access to necessary health services.

For a FAQ on the New York COBRA matter, you can visit the COBRA Control blog at:

http://cobracontrol.com/2009/08/07/cobra-control-services-technical-bulletin-new-york-enhances-continuation-coverage/