Philosophy Now Forum

• Guaranteed issue will require policies to be issued regardless of any medical condition, and partial community rating will require insurers to offer the same premium to all applicants of the same age and geographical location without regard to gender or most pre-existing conditions (excluding tobacco use).

• A shared responsibility requirement, commonly called an individual mandate, requires all individuals not covered by an employer sponsored health plan, Medicaid, Medicare or other public insurance programs, secure an approved private-insurance policy or pay a penalty, unless the applicable individual is a member of a recognized religious sect exempted by the Internal Revenue Service, or waived in cases of financial hardship. This was included on the rationale that - without such a mandate, a form of community rating, and coverage standards - the guaranteed issue provision would likely exacerbate adverse selection: if people could not be denied insurance by companies they might put-off insuring themselves until they got sick, causing insurers to resort to larger premium increases on sick individuals and more extensive coverage limits, which could result in an insurance death spiral. This led to the inclusion of subsidies (see below) so people with low-incomes can comply when the mandate goes into effect.
  
  
  Health insurance exchanges will commence operation in each state, offering a marketplace where individuals and small businesses can compare policies and premiums, and buy insurance (with a government subsidy if eligible).
  
  
  Low-income individuals and families above 100% and up to 400% of the federal poverty level will receive federal subsidies on a sliding scale if they choose to purchase insurance via an exchange (those from 133% to 150% of the poverty level would be subsidized such that their premium cost would be 3% to 4% of income).
  
  
  The text of the law expands Medicaid eligibility to include all individuals and families with incomes up to 133% of the poverty level, effectively 138%, and simplifies the CHIP enrollment process. In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, the Supreme Court effectively allowed states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion, and some states have stated their intention to do so. States that choose to reject the Medicaid expansion can set their own Medicaid eligibility thresholds, which in many states are significantly below 133% of the poverty line; in addition, many states do not make Medicaid available to childless adults at any income level. Because subsidies on insurance plans purchased through exchanges are not available to those below 100% of the poverty line, this may create a coverage gap in those states.
  
  
  Minimum standards for health insurance policies are to be established and annual and lifetime coverage caps will be banned.
  
  
  Firms employing 50 or more people but not offering health insurance will also pay a shared responsibility requirement if the government has had to subsidize an employee's health care.
  
  
  Very small businesses will be able to get subsidies if they purchase insurance through an exchange.
  
  
  Co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles are to be eliminated for select health care insurance benefits considered to be part of an "essential benefits package"[36] for Level A or Level B preventive care.
  
  
  Changes are enacted that allow a restructuring of Medicare reimbursement from "fee-for-service" to "bundled payment."A single payment is paid to a hospital and a physician group, for example, for a defined episode of care (such as a hip replacement), rather than individual payments to individual service-providers.

Bill Wiltrack wrote:Why? What are you basing your philosophy upon?

Bill Wiltrack wrote: It is the philosophy of conservatism.

John K wrote:

Bill Wiltrack wrote: It is the philosophy of conservatism.

But what if I need to conserve something?

bobevenson wrote:

John K wrote:

Bill Wiltrack wrote: It is the philosophy of conservatism.

But what if I need to conserve something?

You mean like your mind? You won't do it on this thread.

Bill Wiltrack wrote:.
It was back in August of 1981 in America. Ronald Reagan, the 40 President of the United States did Beelzebub's bidding as he destroyed the Air Traffic Controllers Union ability to bargain effectively.

In short, he put profit before people. He said it was for national interest and national security. Thirty years later, the world witnesses that on that day, August 1, 1981 the United States of America sacrificed both. The United States of America betrayed her own people, and the world's corporate headquarters took note.

The air traffic controllers’ strike was a major union movement in America. It proved the importance of worker’s rights and liberties. The strike proved that unions could make a difference in a society based on capitalism.