A question about health insurance: It seems that there may be a genetic

[hedgehog]

mutation running in my family responsible for various chronic diseases that also run in the family. My sister warns me not to get the kids tested because then they will have a "pre-existing" condition and won't be able to get health insurance. Didn't the Health Care Reform Act make it illegal to deny insurance on that basis?

[PDJane]

1. As I understand it, not yet.

That provision kicks in later.

[JDPriestly]

15. Why did they delay the really important parts of the bill?

It makes the bill a joke, a cruel joke on people with pre-existing conditions, people who can't afford health insurance.

Congress should have done a better job. There is no excuse for Max Baucus and his pandering to corporate donors. No excuse. Might as well have a Republican. He holds a place that some other, more people-friendly Democrat might at least contest.

Some of our "Democrats" are so useless that it isn't funny. It's sad.

If there is a God . . . . .

[MADem]

2. Doesn't that stuff kick in down the line--in a year or so? Be cautious.

Hope you get the answer you seek.

[banned from Kos]

3. 2014 - Insurers may deny coverage before then for any reason n/t

[pnwmom]

9. Since 2008, discrimination based on genetic discrimination has been illegal.

The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act was passed, with bi-partisan support, in 2008.

[banned from Kos]

10. this law says that "healthy" persons cannot be denied

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_Information_Non-discrimination_Act

True?

(I am NOT in the health insurance business)

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Here is what HCR created a loophole for.

Because private insurance co's were forced to not deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, private insurance co's jumped through the loophole. They don't cover any children on separate policies from their parents... Ask me how I know. Yes, that's right. I can't buy decent insurance for my healthy son now either. YaY HCR.

[pnwmom]

7. What about the Federal insurance pool that's available for people

who are denied by insurers until the law fully kicks in? Have you applied for that?

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. It will not cover my son, because he has no pre-existing conditions.

He has what amounts to catastrophic insurance at this point. For 11 months and 29 days we have a rinky dink 50/50 $10K deductible policy on him. $50 copay for dr's visits (checkups). Because it is "temporary" insurance, I will have to re-sign him up in 11 months and 30 days...for another $400-ish sign up fee. For me, the TX pool is way out of financial reach, with a high deductible again, and I would have to pay for Remicade treatments out of pocket, just as I would have to now (the deductible is too high). So I did the only thing I could, for a reasonable price. I bought more life insurance on myself. We've been up and down and back and forth with this for far longer than I care to think about. I have been on the phone with more people than I ever wanted to be. HCR is not the bright shining light that so many think it is. A healthy 13 year old boy is now uninsurable. What has happened to this country?

[pnwmom]

5. The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act was passed in 2008.

In addition, the new health insurance law will bar insurers from denying people with pre-existing conditions -- but that hasn't yet gone into effect, and the Rethugs are bragging about how they're going to repeal the whole law.

Here's some info on the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Law.

http://www.genome.gov/10002328

What's the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)?

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, also referred to as GINA, is a new federal law that protects Americans from being treated unfairly because of differences in their DNA that may affect their health. The new law prevents discrimination from health insurers and employers. The President signed the act into federal law on May 21, 2008. The parts of the law relating to health insurers will take effect by May 2009, and those relating to employers will take effect by November 2009.



Why was the law needed?

The law was needed to help ease concerns about discrimination that might keep some people from getting genetic tests that could benefit their health. The law also enables people to take part in research studies without fear that their DNA information might be used against them in health insurance or the workplace.



What's included in the law?

The law protects people from discrimination by health insurers and employers on the basis of DNA information.



What's not included?

The law does not cover life insurance, disability insurance and long-term care insurance.


(More info at the link)

[SharonAnn]

6. Be very careful, they can hold it against you and them and deny insurance.

Don't ever trust them. Especially not since the health care insurance rules are changing and they could change at any time and in any manner with our current and future Congresses.

[pnwmom]

8. The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act made that illegal.

Yes, things could change, but the act had bi-partisan support. Eventually, EVERYONE is going to be proven to have genetic factors that could (but wouldn't necessarily) affect their health.

[hedgehog]

11. It's really ironic - a lot of people in the extended family are receiving

very expensive treatments that are only marginally successful. This defect prevents proper metabolism of B vitamins. The proper treatment is a relatively cheap broken down version of B vitamins.

[pnwmom]

13. If there's a cheap, effective treatment, it seems like a mistake

not to get your children tested -- but I know why you feel cautious.

When my son was going to have asthma tests, my sister warned me that some friend told her she wouldn't let her child get diagnosed with asthma, because it would then be on his record. And yet asthma, if untreated, can be life threatening!

I'm also about to get a test for a genetic condition, and my doctor did warn me that some people worry about having it in their record. Even she didn't seem to know about the 2008 law. I haven't heard complaints since it was put into effect, so I HOPE that it's working.

[JDPriestly]

16. Wow! That sounds awful!

[pnwmom]

17. They're finding out that there are genetic links to more and more medical problems.

My view is, forewarned is forearmed. Better to know, as long as there's something I can do about it.

[area51]

14. Even when it becomes illegal to deny insurance based on a pre-existing condition,

that doesn't mean said insurance will be affordable. IIRC, the "subsidy" our rightwing congress put in the law is just a kick-back in your taxes, and you'll still have to fork over the money to pay for it, if you can. The Newt Gingrich-loving mandate kicks in at the same time that it supposedly becomes illegal to deny insurance based on a pre-existing condition.

"Any proposal that sticks with our current dependence on for-profit private insurers ... will not be sustainable. And the new law will not get us to universal coverage ...." -- T.R. Reid, The Healing of America