(Updated) Pros and Cons of the Healthcare Reform Bill
Interesting analysis.
My previous list of pros and cons of healthcare reform has gotten a bit dated. I’ve updated it. Once again, I’ve attempted to keep it as simple and non-partisan as I can manage. Let me know if you think I have misrepresented anything or left out anything crucial.
Pros:
- A lot of people who don’t have health insurance will now have health insurance.
- 95% coverage of legal U.S. residents under 65 will be covered. Compare this with 83% and dropping now. This is an increase of 32,000,000 people. (Those over 65 are already covered by Medicare either way.)
- Insurers will not be able to stop paying for people who are sick, even if they lose their jobs.
- People who cannot afford health insurance won’t have to pay as much money for it. If you are particularly poor, insurance will be very cheap or even free.
- People who are already sick will be eligible for healthcare.
- Medicaid availability will expand significantly
- Children will be able to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until they are 26.
- Insurers must spend at least 80% of premiums on actual medical care.
- There will be a federally regulated insurance marketplace that should make health insurance more portable.
- The bill will reduce the deficit.
- Medicare fraud will be cracked down on.
- The prescription drug “donut hole” will be closed. (If you don’t know what that is, you will now never have to worry about it.)
Reblogged from Squashed