"Affordable Health Care"

[Gabriella7]

Because of this law, my youngest son (self employed) who was dropped from his insurance plan because he moved to another state and then could not get insurance because of a "pre-existing" condition (early-onset parkinsons) can now get insurance. His daughter who is still a college student will be able to be covered on his policy instead of paying the high premiums she now has to pay for her coverage.

My middle son (self employed) whose income drastically dropped because of the economy to the point he lost his home and could no longer afford the price of health insurance hopefully can afford to get health insurance. He needs it because he had a heart attack last year so he also has a "pre-existing condition".

My oldest son who works for a small software company pays extremely high insurance premiums with high deductables and high cost for all his medications in order to afford the premiums.

This will hopefully be the beginning of reforming the health care industry and reigning in the insurance companies monopoly. Now lets work to reign in the Big Pharma companies and the outrageous costs for prescription medications. The last prescription my doctor wrote was going to cost $130.00 (co-pay) a month. I couldn't afford to add that to all the others I already have to take.

Gabriella

[agate]

Here's a summary of the news about the US health care reform issue that has just been upheld by the Supreme Court:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18630837

[agate]

The National MS Society has issued an update on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It has a summary of the provisions that they believe will prove beneficial to people with MS:

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/new....aspx?nid=6568

[Virginia]

I hope that people who are in need can benefit from this new law and that no one gets hurt by it. I read that insurance cost will go up a lot. I don't know if
that is true. I have read so many different things.

[Kittianne54]

There is a lot of misinformation going around. The Affordable Care Act is a good thing for all of us. Get the facts, not the heresay!

[Virginia]

Yes, Kittianne I wanted it passed also and believe that overall it will be good. However, I do not trust the insurance companies anymore than I do drug
companies so the premiums will be something that we will have to wait and see. But I do agree that I think it will be good for most all of us.

[Cat Dancer]

my health insurance premiums have actually gone *down* this year..the first time in the 13 years that I have been paying for the insurance..and the decrease came before the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of the law. And I've received notice from the company that I should expect another decrease this next January, when the policy renews. In addition, my prescription costs have gone down.

It's about time the US moved into the company of other industrialized civilized nations and provided a means of access to health care for all our citizens.

[Virginia]

That's great Cat Dancer. Glad to hear that something is going down. Mine did go up, but not by a huge amount, but then it always goes up every year.
Someone was telling me about a lady I know who has a lump in her breast. She is 43 and her Mother died from breast cancer and her 45 year old sister has
had it. They said she had not yet gone to the Doctor because she could not afford it. I was shocked that this particular person did not have insurance,
however I was told by a Nurse that she might have it and that in order to afford it her co-pay might be so high that she could not pay it if she happens to
be strapped at this time.

I agree that all citizens should be able to afford and have health care. I think it is long overdue.

[agate]

I have dental insurance now that I'm in a state without dental coverage under Medicaid, and the premiums went down for me too. Apparently I failed to notice that this meant a reduction in benefits. I found out some months later, when I needed dental work done, and suddenly it wasn't covered.

I've restored my former coverage, but the premium is now more than double what I was paying.

I wish I could figure out ways of being half as clever as these insurance companies.