Go to www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck
to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You
can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we've just
added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health
Reform Office tackling a viral email head on. Check it out:
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8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without
coverage
- Ends
Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from
refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
- Ends Exorbitant
Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by
yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
- Ends Cost-Sharing
for Preventive Care: Insurance
companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests
that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams
for diabetics.
- Ends Dropping of
Coverage for Seriously Ill:
Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down
insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
- Ends Gender
Discrimination: Insurance
companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your
gender.
- Ends Annual or
Lifetime Caps on Coverage:
Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps
on the coverage you receive.
- Extends Coverage
for Young Adults: Children
would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
- Guarantees
Insurance Renewal: Insurance
companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder
pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse
renewal because someone became sick.
Learn more and get details: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/
8 common myths about health insurance reform
- Reform will stop
"rationing" - not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a "government
takeover" of health care or lead to "rationing." To the
contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently
being used by insurance companies.
- We can’t afford
reform: It's the status quo we
can't afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the
contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority
of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing
government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies;
and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and
streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs
that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
- Reform would
encourage "euthanasia":
It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even
require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their
family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to
cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with
these personal and difficult family decisions.
- Vets' health care
is safe and sound: It’s a myth
that health insurance reform will affect veterans' access to the care they
get now. To the contrary, the President's budget significantly expands
coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were
previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be
available for all eligible veterans.
- Reform will
benefit small business - not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small
businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small
businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and
help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover
their employees on average.
- Your Medicare is
safe, and stronger with reform:
It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting
Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term
financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste
and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the
Medicare "doughnut" hole to make prescription drugs more
affordable for seniors.
- You can keep your
own insurance: It’s myth that
reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to
change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not
eliminate them.
- No, government
will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be
in charge of your bank accounts. Health insurance reform will
simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to
pay bills in a method that you choose. Just like paying a phone bill
or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic
payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to
understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will
apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make.
Learn more and get details:
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq
8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now
- Coverage Denied to
Millions: A recent national
survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of
those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance
company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated
against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or
dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
- Less Care for More
Costs: With each passing year,
Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored
health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three
times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan
purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a
full-time minimum wage job. Americans pay more than ever for health
insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
- Roadblocks to Care
for Women: Women’s reproductive
health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including
yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more
likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While
rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are
similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are
more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic
conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up
care. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
- Hard Times in the
Heartland: Throughout rural America,
there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health
care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of
poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited
access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent
economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the
health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural
communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes
- Small Businesses
Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are
employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the
proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health
insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small
business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped
from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of
such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance
through a spouse. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline
- The Tragedies are
Personal: Half of all personal
bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The
typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health
costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction
- Diminishing Access
to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the
proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health
insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people - one in
every three Americans under the age of 65 - were uninsured at some point
in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families.
Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
- The Trends are
Troubling: Without reform,
health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable
strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets.
Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46
million Americans currently without health insurance - projections suggest
that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of
reform. Learn more: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf