Carrie Writes
National Health Care Reform
Carrie Barrepski

National Health Care Reform has been a hot topic ever since the last
presidential race. There has been a need for several reasons. The first is the
fact that the cost of healthcare keeps on rising, making it more difficult for
individuals to afford good quality care. Another reason is the rising number of
individuals living in the nation who do not have health insurance. In 2009 the
Census Bureau estimated that forty seven million people are uninsured. The
cause could be the economic status and rising unemployment. The goal of the
reform is to provide insurance for everyone while managing costs to be
affordable.

For people with disabilities the reform would benefit them in many ways,
such as eliminating discrimination by banning insurance companies
from denying individuals insurance coverage due to underlying health issues.
By offering premium assistance for individuals the insurance options are more
affordable. There will also be a health insurance exchange allowing
individuals to choose the best plan for them. All of these options will enable
individuals with disabilities to continue working without needing to worry about
Medicare. There is also a possibility of expanding Medicaid to approve more
individuals with disabilities and low-income families. Discounts on
prescriptions will be provided for those who receive both Medicare and
Medicaid, and there will also be a simplified financial support application
process for those receiving Medicaid benefits. Medicare will also have
increased premium subsidies and decreased co-payments. The Health Care
Reform empathizes the importance high quality care, better care for chronic
illness and preventive care.

The bill has passed in the House of Representatives and is
now being debated in the Senate. There are similarities and differences between
the two groups’ version of the Health Care Reform Bill. They both agreed to
subsidize insurance while setting up health insurance exchanges where small
businesses, the self-employed and the unemployed to compare and purchase
the best health care plan for themselves. There is also a move to limit out of
pocket expenses while preventing insurance companies from denying
coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Insurers will also be banned from
charging high premiums based on a person’s medical history. Both the
House and Senate plan on increasing the Medicaid program to include more
low-income families. Both bills require everyone to have health insurance but
there will be a hardship exemption.

As always, there are some differences between the House and Senate bills.
The House bill is more expensive with coverage for ninety six percent of the
population while the Senate bill is less expensive covering ninety four percent
of the population. How to pay for pay for the bill will also be debated with the
question of who and what to tax. One issue that will be greatly debated is a
public option, which is supported by the House. This is when the government
will provide insurance coverage for individuals not covered by employers and
state based programs totally run by the government.
This will definitely be an interesting debate to watch.