[Mari]

Hello,


The health care vote is tonight around 9:00 pm.
The president will address the country afterwards.


Here is what takes effect immediately after the president signs it into law:
hhttp://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0320/Health-care-reform-bill-101-How-long-will-reform-take

1. Insurance companies will be prohibited from placing lifetime caps – limits on the amount of money that can eventually be paid out – on their policies. They’ll face new restrictions on setting annual caps, as well.


2. Insurance companies also will be prohibited from pulling your coverage, except in case of fraud or intentional misrepresentation.


3. Children won’t be excluded from coverage due to pre-existing health conditions. Plus, children will be able to stay on their parents’ policy until age 26.


4. Small businesses that offer health coverage to employees will be eligible for tax credits of up to 50 percent of premium costs.


5. Seniors who fall into the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole”, in the middle of the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage plan will get $250 to help them pay their bills.


6. People with pre-existing health conditions will be able to enroll in a new, but temporary, national high-risk insurance plan.

Other things will take effect as late as 2014.


M.

[Mari]

It passed.

M.

[befuddled2]

Mari, Don't it have to go to Senate now before the president signs it?

barbara

[Mari]

1. This law started in the Senate and got finished in the House tonight.
It will be law when it is signed.
The president will sign soon.


2. The Senate and the House are going to make some adjustment to that bill regarding things having to do with money. That will be a second law.


M.

[Brokenfriend]

It sure did pass,and it's about time. The insurence companies where sending out their propaganda by phone messages.

It's a good deal,and the President said it was also common sense. BF I hope that the insurence companies are put into their place. They have been out of order for years.

[Dmom3005]

I'm personally glad it passed.

I am worried though about the expense of it to taxpayers.

Donna

[Mari]

Dear Donna,
It is going to save the country money.

M.

[Yellowfever]

I am glad for this is going to help out the health system and help us out. But the issue to me is according to the laws that will take place,2014 one of them states that you will be penalized if you do not have health insurance. That bothers me because what if you are homeless on the streets. They are going to have to pay for penalty? I think this is taking away freedom and also I think that is TOO MUCH CONTROL. What if an individual decides they do not believe in having health care so they decide to live their life with out health care or insurance.

I feel that the freedom of this country is at stake. There are populations that does not at all, do health care.

That is all. I have a bit of a conservative side of thinking because of how I was raised so forgive me if I was offensive and sound a bit ungrateful for this. But I am not sure who is paying for this. I try reading about this and listening on the news but I am having a hard time comprehending a lot of it.

I hate my learning disability.

Why is this change so scary to me? My parents tell me it is bad that this is happening. I need help to understand what is going on a little better.
Can someone help me

Sharla

[Brokenfriend]

Hey Sharla. I have learning disabilities too. I hate them,and I had to go to Prep schools because of them.

I decided that I would not listen to much news today,because I knew that all of the people against it where going to scramble the circuits,and cause fear. These kind of reports on the news seem to get worse every year. They give opinions as though they are facts,but many of them are not facts,but a bit of the truth,turned into a opinion. Some of those things are stirred up by the lobbiests.

I aggree with you about not making it into law to be made to get insurence. They will have the poor in court all day,every week day of the year. Who knows what they will do with the street people. They will probably ignor the street people. I don't like the idea of them making another blanket law over all of us either. They seem to be making new laws every couple of months now. They are adding up. BF

[Mari]

Sharla,

This argument comes down to whether a person trusts the government or not. I trust government.

Massachusetts has universal health care that was enacted in 2006 under Mitt Romney.
It is essentially the same health plan that will be signed into law tomorrow by Obama.
People in Massachusetts like their health care.

=-=-=-=-

According to the new plan that the prez will sign on Tuesday, everyone will be required to buy insurance by 2014 or face a fine.
Poor people will be exempt.

Originally Posted by Yellowfever

]What if an individual decides they do not believe in having health care so they decide to live their life with out health care or insurance.

Most likely they will be fined.
People will have to buy insurance.
This plan only works if everyone has insurance in one form or another.


I do not get upset by talking about this, but I feel very strongly that people will get used to this idea and find that the plan is a very good thing.

But I am not sure who is paying for this.

This law will reduce health care costs and save our country billions of dollars.
The independent Congressional Budget Office has done the math.


Other questions?

M.