What's in the Health Care Bill
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-03-25/whats-health-care-bill
President Barack Obama signs the health insurance reform bill in the East Room of the White House, March 23, 2010.
President Obama begins a campaign to explain the new, landmark health care legislation. What the bill could mean for small businesses, Medicare patients and the health and wallets of American families.
Guests
Julie Rovner
health policy correspondent for NPR, author of "Health Care Policy and Politics A-Z," and contributing editor for the National Journal's CongressDaily.
Mary Agnes Carey
senior correspondent with Kaiser Health News. She most recently served as associate editor for CQ HealthBeat, a daily report on health care policy. She has also served as Capitol Hill Bureau Chief for CQ.
Marilyn Werber Serafini
healthcare and welfare correspondent, "National Journal."
Comments
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How will nurses' salaries be affected by the new bill? Someone told me nurses will be getting "minimum wage" which sounds like a scare tactic by those who are still fighting against change.
Sincerely,
Barbara
Grosse Pointe, Michigan
with all those new people being covered, are we going to have a shortage of doctors? What is being done to help with that and will there be delays for patients seeking care?
With respect to Jane's comment, above, one problem has been the amount of time (and money!) doctors have had to spend on administration thanks to unintegrated information systems and arcane paperwork demanded by payers. I helped my doc move into his new office last year and was appalled by the "state of the art" (not!) computer systems and the number of people working in his new office on purely administrative tasks.
So my question would be whether administrative reforms will kick in before the patient load increases?
Small business will no longer have to compete in the labor market on the basis of insurance offerings.
The playing field for quality employees will be leveled and small businesses will become more competitive, creating more entrepreneurial opportunities and higher quality customer outcomes.
Agree or disagree?
What's to keep the insurance companies from raising their premiums to counter effect the governments control?
After the President's signature, the itemis a "Law" it is no longer a "Bill"
I think the AMA needs to increase the number of people they allow into medical school. They are the ones limiting the supply so that they can artificially keep the doctors paid high.
I was struck by Nancy Pelosi's comment that there were more than 200 Republican amendments included in the bill. It seems Democrats worked very hard to be inclusive. Why would there be zero republican support in the end? Did the changes to the bill in fact drive off otherwise support for the bill?
Thanks,
Carol
Flagstaff, AZ
When I was purchasing my own private health insurance, I needed a simple exam needed and I did forget to mention a pre-existing, the ins company forced me to give them every doctor I had visited 5 yrs prior...or they would not pay for the procedure...then they raised my rates retroactive from the time I enrolled or I would be cancelled and nothing would be paid for. I had no choice but to comply. does the bill prevent this type of practice?
Last night in Arlington, Texas, on the UT Arlington campus, Jeffrey Toobin answered a question about these state lawsuits regarding health care mandates by 13 states attorneys general. He remarked that "what is an attorney general but the next candidate for governor?" This is politically motivated and he doesn't see these suits having any traction.
Someone on an NPR program yesterday made a casual remark that stuck with me--health care, comprehensive access supported by all via insurance or govt subsidy is like the federal regulations regarding education. The right (and mandate) that every American get at least a free K-12 education. And education has a complex network of funding, just as health insurance will. It needs to be done.
Maggie in Fort Worth
Conservatives say this bill amounts to a government takeover of health care. Can the panel point to the section of the bill that eliminates private insurance carriers?
Why was there such an omission of cost-control measures in this bill? Tort reform, and defensive medicine, are enormous contributors to the cost of medicine today yet this bill does nothing to address these issues.
Also, we need to standardize the medical billing system. There should be a national standard to which all insurance companies must adhere. I have a friend who is a medical biller and can waste literally an hour on one patient billing.
What happen when one of the folks who paid the fine gets seriously ill? The fine has been paid, (s)he is passed into insurance since prior conditions can't be blocked?
Yes, there are limits on the number of students allowed into medical school. BUT- having seen the system first-hand, I can assure you that there are far too many people applying to the programs who simply lack the intellectual ability to be good doctors.
If you want to increase the number of doctors and the quality of doctors, we must improve the quality of life so that the intellectuals will be interested in pursuing medicine. Why take a job which requires 8 years of schooling, 80 hour work weeks, and the daily possibility of a lawsuit which will ruin your life and take all of your possessions?
Please beware of the spin you put on various coverage. Calling Medicare Advantage "lush" is a wild overstatement of the truth. We pay for it. All is does is cover the expense of diagnosis and treatment - how is that lush? Thank you, I'm enjoying the show today.
I have a opponent of the bill who I found out she has a child that has Pre-Exist Cond. Child dropped from Private Ins. Child on Medicaid and Mom claims she has to beg for his meds sometimes and get creative on others. I have shown her that the Priv. Ins. has left her child in the cold and be positive.
Can she now get her child back on Pri. Ins. or is the child blacklisted? What does the bill do for her?
I caught part of Diane Rehm's show yesterday. Did I really hear a listener say he hates black people?
I would like to point out that the majority of families who receive insurance through their employers are not wealthy American but the 'Ordinary' Americans with whom President Obama says he is most concerned. What that means is that his 'Ordinary' Americans are going to have to pay a luxury tax for receiving insurance through their employers. Well, you might say, they could just go with the government run plan. That's true, but I am going to go out on a limb here, and predict that employer provided coverage will be far better than the government program and so most Americans will choose to stick with their employer. I know I will. To listen to President Obama an outsider would assume that 'Ordinary' Americans are all living below the poverty line. If that were the case (far from it) then our citizens would be fleeing this country in droves rather than receiving millions more immigrants each year who are fleeing true poverty, oppression, mutilation, etc.
Frankly, I am quite angry and frustrated that Congress and our President put such a concerted effort into healthcare while continuing to ignore the housing/mortgage crisis and unemployment, and I might note did nothing to bring down credit card interest rates. Immigration continues to be a serious problem and what is really being done about this national crisis?
I no longer consider myself a Democrat or have any loyalty at all to a party that continues to miss the priorities of the American people. Losing a home, having your home devalued, not being able to pay your bills, living paycheck to paycheck, etc. should be the concerns of each member of Congress and certainly our President.
They are no better than Wall Street and others who have shamed this country with their greed, ineptitude and callousness toward the American people.
I do not think Congress, the President or the media/journalists really get the issues. It seems all of you are too wrapped up in your own partisanship and this "landmark" bill to really see or hear what is going on in this country.
While it is absolutely wrong that Barney Frank was called a queer in reference to his sexual orientation, it is not a national crisis. What is a national crisis is that Barney Frank has continued to be in Congress while failing the American people and there is no coverage about that fact. Where is Barney Frank's accountability right now?
It is just amazing to me the callousness of this Congress and this President, and how sad for all Americans who voted for any of them.
This President fails to keep his campaign promises and no one questions him just as no one question Bush. Nancy Pelosi is another Carl Rove with a skirt and I take no pride as a woman in her success. She does not get it either. She presents herself as a female bully. What pride is there in that?
Frankly, I am quite angry and frustrated that Congress and our President put such a concerted effort into healthcare while continuing to ignore the housing/mortgage crisis and unemployment, and I might note did nothing to bring down credit card interest rates. Immigration continues to be a serious problem and what is really being done about this national crisis?
I no longer consider myself a Democrat or have any loyalty at all to a party that continues to miss the priorities of the American people. Losing a home, having your home devalued, not being able to pay your bills, living paycheck to paycheck, etc. should be the concerns of each member of Congress and certainly our President.
They are no better than Wall Street and others who have shamed this country with their greed, ineptitude and callousness toward the American people.
I do not think Congress, the President or the media/journalists really get the issues. It seems all of you are too wrapped up in your own partisanship and this "landmark" bill to really see or hear what is going on in this country.
While it is absolutely wrong that Barney Frank was called a queer in reference to his sexual orientation, it is not a national crisis. What is a national crisis is that Barney Frank has continued to be in Congress while failing the American people and there is no coverage about that fact. Where is Barney Frank's accountability right now?
It is just amazing to me the callousness of this Congress and this President, and how sad for all Americans who voted for any of them.
This President fails to keep his campaign promises and no one questions him just as no one question Bush. Nancy Pelosi is another Carl Rove with a skirt and I take no pride as a woman in her success. She does not get it either. She presents herself as a female bully. What pride is there in that?
Disagree....because, until I see otherwise, I am going to predict that employer provided coverage is going to be better than that offered through Uncle Sam. See my comment about 'Ordinary' Americans.
Yes you did and how sad that it occurred. However, I would like to remind everyone that people of color can also be racists. Have you ever heard a person of color say "I hate white people?" Because I certainly have. Racism by anyone is wrong.
Karen - I too am, or was, a Democrat, who is extremely frustrated with my (former) party. It becomes more obvious with each day that our elected officials, who for the most part have never had any struggles in their lives, never truly worked for a living, have never had children in the public school system, etc. don't speak for us but speak down to us. They feel they need to take care of us which means they assume that we can't take care of ourselves. How condescending is that?! Of course, many of us have made it look that we do need looking after. While the system did take advantage of many Americans, the majority of those now in trouble lived far beyond their means. Am I the only one who thinks that a $5.00 coffee every day is ridiculous (one small example of spending foolishly)?
Thank you for presenting the health care bill in a logical, civil and clear manner. I used to work for an insurance company and was always disappointed in their greed. It went beyond just costs, it was greed and so harmful to patients. I hope this bill encourages people to be aware and mindful of their health insurance. I left the republican party based on their horrific behavior and lack of willingness to help the people. They've set a horrible example of unity.
i was very disappointed in this show. the so-called experts constantly professed not to know answers to questions; not much information was conveyed by this show. i know the bill is large and new, but please don't calll people experts, or have an expert show, when you don't have access to experts. "to be honest with you, i don't know" isn't a satisfactory answer from an expert.
Exactly When (what date) is the "right away" that a 24 year old dependent can come back on to my healyh care policy? He was cut off at age 23 and is a grad student. How is this done?
I am wondering if the provision that will allow children up to 26 to remain on their parent's insurance plans, will be retro-active.
I am asking because I am a 24 year old, who was kicked off of my parents plan when I graduated college in 2008. I had a job with healthcare benefits until this winter when I was laid-off. So now I find myself working two part-time jobs with no healthcare benefits... with this new provision, can I go back onto my parents plan???
The guests on today's show did not adequately address the adverse impact of the health care bill on seniors . The bill will reduce coverage and increase premiums on Medicare Care Advantage policies . It also increases the corporate tax on employer provided retiree health insurance plans . I fear that this will cause some companies to drop retiree health coverage . It should be the policy of the government to encourage , not discourage companies to continue health care coverage for retirees. In addition , I find it hard to believe that the government can reduce Medicare spending by $450 billion plus without reducing the access to and quality of care.
Combine these issues with increased taxes on annuities and other investment income , and you will find that retired Americans are going to to have a harder time of it . I believe this bill unfairly targets older Americans in order to finance coverage for people who currently don't have insurance.
I would like to get free dental too. Is there going to be a free dental plan in the future too?
What people will see is: Higher premiums, higher co-pays, higher out-of-pocket, higher deductibles, higher taxes, longer waits for services, lower quality of service, and services and treatments available today no longer available because some faceless, non-elected government functionary in a cubicle somewhere doesn’t see its value.
Many ObamaCare enthusiasts keep saying there will be subsidies for people subscribing to forced insurance if “they can’t afford it.” No one ever, EVER, says who decides whether a subscriber can afford it. In case you haven’t been paying attention, there are many “high-earning”, formerly higher-earning families in this country due to the economic meltdown whose budgets are so tight that they might not be able to scrounge up even $10 per month.