Co-payments for many preventive medical services for most workers are about to disappear

[Emillereid]

Can we get this truth out far and wide.

By Bruce Japsen

November 1, 2010

If you've been holding off getting screened for high cholesterol, diabetes or hypertension because of a co-payment, you soon won't have a reason to put it off.

That's because co-payments, which typically cost at least $20, for a host of preventive services will disappear starting Jan. 1 for most workers thanks to the Affordable Care Act. For others, they're already seeing that benefit under the new health law, or soon will if they bought a new individual policy or have renewed in the last month.

Americans are noticing this and other changes to their health plans as they go through open enrollment, the annual fall ritual that allows workers with coverage to change their benefits.

The health law aims to encourage employees to get routine preventive screenings and checkups that could ultimately help lower health care costs. Treating patients after being diagnosed with an ailment or disease is much more costly than prevention efforts. That's why an increasing number of companies are willing to swallow the added costs of covering preventive services and have been offering many checkups and screenings to their employees at no cost.

Nate Solomon, employee benefits director at Wolters Kluwer, believes waiving the co-payment for annual checkups for the company's employees and their dependents next year will help keep workers healthy and aid the company's bottom line in the long run.

<snip>

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-fi-preventive-services-20101101,0,3439009.story

I believe the administration should start advertising what the health care bill really is -- like the people described in another post about some old people thinking Obama took medicare away -- the repuke lies and distortions terrified a fair number of people.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x510923

They need to send a list of its major provisions to every household in America and do a blitzkrieg TV campaign.

[Naturyl]

1. This is good.

Although, as always, unemployed can go drop dead.

[ClarkUSA]

2. Thank you, President Obama and Congressional Democrats who voted for HCR!

:applause:

Bookmarked and will send LTTE to all my local papers tonight:

"Co-payments for many preventive medical services for most workers are about to disappear"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9493557&mesg_id=9493557

[dave29]

3. Congrats to all who worked so hard to get this done.

Sorry so many thought it was not worthwhile.

[HughMoran]

4. Yep. My policy was cancelled this December due to improvments required by HCR

My concern is that they're simply going to pork me for the additional benefits.

[kestrel91316]

5. That's all good and well for workers and employees. What about us self-employeds??

We always get shafted, especially when we have teensy weensy little businesses.

[Emillereid]

6. Unfortunately I think the subsidized policies through the state

exchanges don't kick until 2014. I don't know why they thought they needed that much time.