Explaining Health Care in simple Iowese..Help me here

[Peacetrain]

Election time my friends.. and that Health Care Bill questions will be coming up..

The Republicans added 500 plus amendments to the Health Care bill making the damn thing unreadable and then did not support it.. just made it thick and blocky..Its a strategy I guess.. and it worked in 2010, but lets get the lights on the cockroaches and get the exterminators in before we show the apt again.. so to speak

Simple Iowese (If I have this wrong, please straighten me out so I do not steer people wrong)

As we all know insurance only covers half of us basically.. and the rates were going through the ceiling.. (every time my husband got a raise in the last 12 years, Blue Cross rates went up exactly that amount, so we never got anywhere)

With the new Health Care Act that is sort of a private/public strategy using what we had on hand.

Most of us will be covered as it goes through to completion in 2014.

Benefit right as of now"

Now they cannot refuse to cover you if you have a pre-existing condition.
Kids to 26 can stay on their parents coverage.

Coming up we will all be asked to buy insurance from exchanges that will compete for the best price. Everyone needs to jump in this pool if we want to keep private sector insurance, because the savings is spread over everyone since healthy people do not use as many resources and will keep costs down

Those who do not have the financial means will be given financial waivers by the government to purchase it.

If you really do not want to participate, (who their right mind would not) you can opt out, but you will have an increased tax bill to cover any free rides at the emergency rooms.

Is this good?

[sandnsea]

Check out Oregon's FHIAP. This is how I think the exchange with subsidy will work. Except I don't think the subsidies are quite as generous. The subsidy to help pay the premium is critical in getting people to understand how this will help every single American, personally. PLUS, all preventive check-ups are FREE. Mammograms, prostate, heart, whatever is included, I don't have a complete list. In my Oregon plan, even preventive medication is free, regardless of deductible. I don't pay anything for meds. Hubby's plavix is still spendy, otherwise he pays for very few and has a couple that are only $5. These plans have truly, without question, saved our lives. Literally. And we're not terrified of a medical emergency. It's actually taken me a few years for my mind to totally wrap around it.

http://www.oregon.gov/OPHP/FHIAP/member.shtml

Plus, side note, I got a new tax deduction! Not only do I now get to deduct my premium off the top for AGI, I also get to deduct it for Self-Employment Tax!! WOOT! I don't know what more small business people could want. You can qualify for subsidies AND deduct whatever premium you have to pay.

[NJMaverick]

Here is a very helpful link. It provides sound counters to the false right wing talking points:

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2...ersary.pdf

[jaxx]

I've used this site to explain what is happening and when. It's good, easy to understand and easy to use.

Timeline: What's Changing and When

http://www.healthcare.gov/law/timeline/index.html