More Mandates
This is another reason why I disagree with the AAFP:
A major issue under consideration is how many primary care visits would be covered by health plans sold on the federal exchanges during a calendar year. CMS initially proposed that it would “encourage” insurers to cover three primary care visits before any cost-sharing kicked in.
In a Dec. 18 letter to the agency,(4 page PDF) however, the AAFP wrote that CMS should require such “first-dollar” coverage for three visits because many individuals who obtain insurance on the exchanges — especially those who were previously uninsured — will have multiple ailments that could necessitate more than one visit.
I get it. The AAFP wants to protect its members who are still on the hamster wheel. The problem is that as more things get stuffed into this Unaffordable Care Act, the more it costs. And it costs too much as it is. I would rather they strip the damn thing to only cover catastrophic coverage. Then find a way for the insurance companies to offer that product at reasonable price. Right now the insurance companies are in cahoots with the government and prices are not coming down. A catastrophic only plan will make patients shop for care and make costs transparent and competitive. That is the only thing that will bring down prices.
it seems that the carrot is being tugged away from us as we were about to reach it. perhaps something that should have been addressed was the cost of things in the unaffordable care act. several things, all on one page, could have fixed this:
#1 set prices for cpt’s for EVERYONE, all across the nation. that way we all know what something costs. no more of this crap with me getting $8 for a ua and the hospital getting $80 plus a facility fee
#2 eliminate facility fees. one standard will do just fine for everyone.
#3 set rates for policies across the board. then insurances would actually have to compete for our business
#4 have a HSA that rolls over and you do not have to have an expensive policy just to get
i know, simple solutions for problems? language that everyone can read? solutions that non-lawyers could easily understand? bedlam would ensue….
Among all of the many faults of the ACA (and there are far too many) is one good thing: it cuts the connection between having to have an employer who offer health insurance and the ability to have decent health insurance. When you get too sick to work, COBRA is only good 18 months. I am a veterinarian who owned a clinic and offered health insurance to my staff, butt when I got ovarian cancer and couldn’t work with animals due to immunosuppression and other side effects, I had to sell my clinic and cannot work. It was an asset purchase so there was no COBRA for me. I had little choice but to get on the exchange and see what it had. We live in our dream home but my husband works for a company out of state by computer and phone, and going on his insurance everything would be out-of-network. I was pleased to find a platinum plan, albeit with a higher premium than my previous plan, but with a $2000 out-of-pocket cap. I am so glad I had this option. What have other good, hard-working, professional sick people had to settle for when they got too sick to work before this???? Medicare and Medicaid? I dread the day I have only that–I have a disabled friend on both and Medicaid takes her Social Security Disability check and her pension and gives her back $768/month as her total income in order to pay her medical bills. She must pay rent, utilities and everything above her food stamps out of that. Imagine living on that when you are unable to even do your own laundry or vacuum–the aides they send are lazy, underpaid and steal from her, so she sometimes has to pay $20/hr for a decent person to help. (I help when I can, but am now more limited due to my Cancer.) both of us worked good jobs for decades and then got sick–this could happen to anyone!