During her testimony yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius claimed losing your health insurance coverage and finding out your health plan no longer exists are “two very different things.” Either way, people are losing their health insurance as a result of the president’s healthcare law. And based on recent reports, it seems losing your doctor, hospital, and even your prescriptions, might be next. So, how exactly are these two scenarios “very different”?
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius: “’I know people have been told their health plan doesn’t necessarily match the Affordable Care Act requirements,’ she said. ‘Losing coverage and being notified that the plan they have doesn’t exist anymore are two very different things.’” (Sarah Kliff, “Obamacare’s Biggest Losers,” The Washington Post, 12/11/13)
SO WHAT’S THE BIG “DIFFERENCE” FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOST THEIR INSURANCE?
Man Who Lost Coverage For Son Can’t Get Through On Healthcare.gov. “Gisler wanted to purchase a plan for his 45-year-old son, who has a rare degenerative condition affecting his coordination and speech. His current coverage through Utah’s high-risk insurance pool plan ends Dec. 31. By that time, the Obama administration expects enrollees to transition into health plans sold through the new health-care law. But so far, Gisler hasn’t succeeded in purchasing coverage — but not for a lack of effort. ‘We’ve had three separate applications that failed to make it through,’ Gisler says. ‘I have a notebook with all the calls I’ve made, maybe 50 or 100. It just goes on and on.’” (Sarah Kliff, “Obamacare’s Biggest Losers,” The Washington Post, 12/11/13)
High Premiums Exceed Expectations Of California Woman. “Holroyd supported the Affordable Care Act when it was passed in 2009. The moderate Democrat hoped it would help people with pre-existing conditions — such as her husband — get access to insurance, and would allow people who could not afford insurance before to find plans within their reach. …Everything changed in October, when Holroyd was notified by her insurer that her plan could not be renewed in 2014. The comparable plans offered to Holroyd featured a 29% increase in premiums and higher co-pays, as well as significantly higher prescription costs. Holroyd expected to pay more under the new law, but the new estimates exceeded her expectations. ‘We’re savvy,” she told CNN, “but we had no idea that the premiums were going to be what they are.’” (Laura Koran, “Four Stories: After Obamacare ‘Fix,’ Many Are Still Left Out,” CNN, 12/11/13)
“Single Mom Touted By Obama As Health Care Success Story Gets ‘Screwed Over’.” “Soon after signing up for the health plan, Sanford was informed the state made a mistake calculating her tax credit. Three days after the president delivered his speech, a notice arrived from the Washington state health exchange with her new monthly premium: $280 a month for a “gold” plan. Despite the error and significantly higher price, she decided to continue purchasing the insurance. Then more bad news arrived. Sanford received another notice from the state last week informing her they had once again erred while calculating her tax credit. This time, her health premium soared to $390 per month for a “silver” plan with a higher deductible — a price she simply couldn’t afford. Once again, she was reduced to tears. ‘I had a good cry,’ she told CNN. ‘This is it. I’m not getting insurance. That’s where it stands right now unless they fix it.’” (Jon Passantino, “Single Mom Touted By Obama As Health Care Success Story Gets ‘Screwed Over’,” Buzzfeed, 11/19/13)
AND IT DOESN’T STOP WITH INSURANCE – THERE’S A CHANCE PEOPLE MIGHT START LOSING THEIR DOCTORS AND HOSPTIALS, TOO
POLITICO: “New Obamacare Weapon For GOP: Doctors.” “…While a limited inventory of doctors is typical of most insurance policies both on and off the Obamacare exchanges, it runs counter to the Obama administration’s promise that people won’t have to change doctors under the health care law.” (Seung Min Kim and Jennifer Haberkorn, “New Obamacare Weapon for GOP: Doctors,” POLITICO, 12/3/13)
USA TODAY: Insurers Are Shrinking Doctor And Hospital Networks To Cut Costs. “Obama has already had hellish problems after promising that if people liked their insurance, they could keep it. There could be a similar battle brewing over his pledge that people could keep their doctors, because insurers are shrinking doctor and hospital networks to cut costs.” (Editorial, “HealthCare.gov better but not yet well: Our view,” USA Today, 12/1/13)
The Washington Free Beacon: “Capretta: Obamacare Will Narrow Doctor, Hospital Networks.” “James Capretta, a Senior Fellow at the Ethics & Public Policy Center argued on Fox News Sunday that under Obamacare many will find their doctor and hospital options to become narrowed.” (“Capretta: Obamacare Will Narrow Doctor, Hospital Networks, The Washington Free Beacon, 12/1/13)
TIME Magazine: “’You Can Keep Your Doctor’: Obamacare’s Next Broken Promise?” (Alex Altman, “’You Can Keep Your Doctor’: Obamacare’s Next Broken Promise?,” TIME, 11/19/13)
The Wall Street Journal: “You Also Can’t Keep Your Doctor.” (Edie Littlefield Sundby, OpEd, “You Also Can’t Keep Your Doctor, The Wall Street Journal, 11/3/13)
The Washington Post: “Insurers Restricting Choice Of Doctors And Hospitals To Keep Costs Down.” (Sandhya Somashekhar and Ariana Eunjung Cha, “Insurers Restricting Choice Of Doctors And Hospitals To Keep Costs Down,” The Washington Post, 11/20/13)
And If You Like Your Current Prescriptions, There’s A Chance You Might Not Be Able To Keep Those Either:
“No, You Can’t Keep Your Drugs Either Under Obamacare.” “The President famously promised that you could keep your health plan and doctor. For many people, both of those pledges are turning out to be false. And now, you might not be able to keep your medicine, either. There are two reasons why. The first has to do with the higher out of pocket costs patients will face. The second issue may be even more significant. Simply put, many drugs may not be covered at all, and the costs patients incur by buying them with cash won’t count against out of pocket caps. This has repercussions for drug makers with big portfolios of specialty and primary care drugs (more on that later). But most of all, it has implications for patients.” (Scott Gottlieb, “No, You Can’t Keep Your Drugs Either Under Obamacare,” Forbes, 12/9/13)
“Drug-Cost Surprises Lurk Inside New Health Plans.” “Americans with chronic illnesses—who are expected to be among the biggest beneficiaries of the health law—face widely varying out-of-pocket drug costs that could be obscured on the new insurance exchanges. …Depending on the coverage they select, some patients on expensive drug regimens could reach that level fast. Some medications for conditions including hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV and cancer can retail for thousands of dollars a month, and some plans require patients to pay as much as 50% of the cost.” (Melinda Beck, “Drug-Cost Surprises Lurk Inside New Health Plans,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/4/13)
Read more at http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/2013/12/13/health-and-human-services-secretary-kathleen-sebelius-whats-the-difference/#A1cR8WmY5YGlCYpB.99
http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/2013/12/13/mr-president-about-those-laws-you-keep-changing/
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