Who will Be Helped By Obama’s Promised Health Reform?
Well, a lot of us pulled the switch for Obama, and the Democratic party, because of health insurance reform. Now, darn it, it looks like Hillary Clinton had a point when she stressed that everything was not going to be so easy as her rival made it sound. But hopefully, this time we are her to stay the distance, so let’s take a look at who will be helped by health care reform.
As an aside, let me mention that I worked as a health insurance agent, and I saw many problems first hand! Many people who wanted health insurance could not get accepted by individual health insurance companies, and others could not afford the premium. Still others did have major medical, but it just wasn’t very good, and one serious illness still left them owing tens of thousands of dollars or more.
One of the reasons I do not actively market health insurance any more is my own frustration with the process and they system.
Lets look at some of the problems:
- The number of people with private health insurance is declining.
- The number of people without any medical plan is increasing.
- Even people who do have coverage have found tha benefits are declining while premiums are increasing. Many of these people worry about how long they can keep up payments.
- These worries do not just impact unemployed people, or even self-employed people, but also many business owners and those who work on contract!
The Middle Class? Well, it would be a relief for millions of Americans to know that they cannot be declined when they apply for coverage. On the other hand, the middle class will still be expected to carry the burden of premiums. Even with a tax credit to help, family premiums will still cost hundreds of dollars every month – a burden that may be between a car payment and a mortgage.
Insurers? Well, counter-intuitively, insurers may actually benefit if everybody is required to seek coverage. Of course, hopefully, these same insurers will have to accept people with health conditions, but they can spread that risk over many people. I am pretty sure that major health insurance companies will win in the end.
Small and Large Business Both small and large companies report that medical premiums are getting harder to afford. If they have a choice to provide private coverage or to contribute to a public one, it may take some stress off.
Anyway, the plan has evolved since the beginning of this latest round, and like many Americans, I am not certain of the latest details. But as the fight goes on, make sure that you keep an eye on the winners.
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