obama health plan cheat sheet

mikehudack:

soupsoup:

abbyjean:

Obama Health Care Plan cheat sheet with additional links for more background info.

If you have private health insurance, the plan would:

• make sure you’re not paying more based on your gender or age;
• stop the insurance company from dropping your coverage if you get sick;
• cap your out-of-pocket expenses so you don’t go broke because of medical costs;
• eliminate charges for preventative care visits and exams.

If you have Medicare, the plan would:

• protect and preserve existing Medicare benefits;
• make it easier to afford prescription drugs.

If you do not have health insurance, the plan would:

• give tax credits to small businesses, families, and individuals to make it easier to buy insurance;
• create a health care marketplace to let individuals and businesses bargain for coverage the way larger companies can do now;
• create a public health insurance option for those who still cannot find affordable coverage.

If you have a pre-existing condition and don’t have health insurance, the plan would:

• require insurance companies to sell you health insurance, regardless of your pre-existing condition (including your pregnancy);
• create immediately available low-cost coverage to protect you until you can obtain alternate coverage.

How will all this get paid for?

• The plan would not add to the deficit. It would be paid for through revenue including a fee on insurance companies and savings through health system reform and incentives for better quality long term care. If the projected savings are not realized, spending cuts are automatically triggers to ensure the plan cannot add to the deficit.
• Those companies and individuals who can afford to cover their employees and themselves will be required to do so.