Health Insurance Articles

The 4-1-1 On Public Health Care, And What May Be Changing

2010-01-21

If you live in the United States, there is a good chance that you have heard the phrase "change in public healthcare" in mainstream media throughout the the last year. As President Obama promised, "It is time for change". Obama has presented a new health bill that has become a hot topic. Let's take a look at this proposal and examine what may soon be changing for all Americans. The first issue to be addressed is the alarmingly high percentage of Americans that do not currently have a healthcare plan. In order to address this, Obama has proposed mandatory coverage for all U.S. citizens and legal residents. Simply put, you either pay for health insurance or run the risk of being fined. These fines would not take effect until 2014, and the fine for a family without insurance would be significantly higher than for individuals without insurance.

Employers will also be affected by the healthcare bill. Under the current system, employees are able to decline any coverage through their employer, and not all employees are offered coverage by their employer. Under the new system, the employer's obligation will increase and large corporations will be obligated to offer healthcare to their employees as medium-sized corporations will have the option to either provide health insurance or pay a per employee fine. Small companies would not be obligated to provide health insurance.

Those who currently have insurance may ask themselves, "How will this new bill affect me?" Many have faced hardships that have originated from their insurance company suddenly dropping them when they get an expensive illness or health issue. This will no longer be an issue as healthcare companies will not be able to discriminate against those who have pre-existing conditions or those that require expensive care. Their health insurance policy will not prevent any person from being covered.

Lastly, Obama's proposal includes The Public Health Care Plan, which will be available to those that for any reason cannot afford or obtain coverage through a private insurance company. This public plan will be run by the government and will compete with existing private insurance companies. It will expand Medicare coverage and limit co-pays. Overall, some of the most obvious advantages are the expansion of coverage to everyone, regardless of any current health condition that is preventing them from being covered, to those who have been driven into economic devastation with overwhelming co-pays. The mandatory healthcare plan may be opposed due to the imposed fine as well as the feeling of not having the right to choose whether one wants to be insured or not.