Healthcare bill experts.....What happens to my family?

[Bennyboy]

I have two kids (now 34 and 27) that had non-Hodgkins Lymphoma a long time ago. They cannot be covered by private insurance now. In the bill I understand there is a "no pre-exisiting condition" clause. But what does that mean? Can the insurance Co's offer one but with no cap on premiums? Cuz that would effectvely mean they are still uninsurable...

My Mom is 84 and slipping quickly. She used to have a supplement with AARP but can no longer afford it. is this gonna effect her Medicare and limit procedures, prescriptions etc?

[CreekDog]

1. there are provisions requiring them to offer insurance to EVERYONE

and in regards to premiums, community rating is required, meaning that you are charged based on your community and your age with those older being able to be charged 3 times that of younger.

i think preexisting conditions language doesn't apply until 2014, a huge weakness, but that there will be a high risk pool created in the interim that will provide coverage.

but this bill will end three awful aspects of our current system:
1) that you can't get coverage because of your medical condition
2) that you can get it but it will exclude your condition
3) that you can get it but it will cost you many, many times what other people pay

[Walk away]

2. So does that mean that his children will finally be able to get...

health care (a great thing) but now he will not be able to afford health care for himself or his wife because their premiums will triple ( a really bad thing)? Would the government force him to sell his house in order to get the money to pay for it? How will the government judge if you have enough money to pay for costly "over 50" health care?

[CreekDog]

3. You know, I found out what I know by reading about the bill and it's provisions

Instead of throwing 100 questions at me, why don't you do the same and let us know what you find out.

I would have a lot more patience with these arguments against if more of those authors would simply talk about what was in the bill, how things are supposed to be implemented and compare it to the current situation.

[Walk away]

4. The question was basically rhetorical....

Yes, he and his wife will be paying three times (or more) in premiums than folks under fifty (unless they are over 65). And the government will be expecting them to spend a percentage of their income even if that money is currently going to pay the mortgage.

[Bennyboy]

5. Actually it was NOT rhetorical....

That is my family. I am not married, single and poor. My healthcare, as such, is a Gov't program, CHSP, which means I can go to an E Room and get treated. Or go to a clinic which is seeing no more patients. Or another one...

SO I am covered if something awful should happen to me.

But my kids are not and can't be right now, I am trying to find out what is in the bill that will help them and if my Mom will get her Medicare cut.

[Walk away]

6. Well then you are very lucky to be eligible for a government program and not be poor.

Here in NJ you need to be at a pretty low level of income to get assistance for health care. Most of us who are employed but not covered by an employer must pay for our own and I assure you that mine covers very little for more money than I can afford right now. As a 55 yr old cancer surivor I may be paying 5 times my current premiums.

I hope your kids get their insurance but I'm sorry to say that it will be at the expense of mine.