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Yet another key provision of Obamacare meant to protect consumers is being delayed - the Obama Administration is holding off on instituting out-of-pocket expense limits. That provision would have put a cap on the total amount an insurance company can charge individuals or families for deductibles, co-pays, and prescriptions. The healthcare law was supposed to restrict out-of-pocket expenses to about 6,000 dollars for an individual, and 12,000 for a family, but administration officials have delayed that requirement, and will allow insurance companies to set their own limits.
The U.S. Labor Department website listed the change since February, but we're just now finding out about it. A White House official defended that decision to the New York Times, saying, We had to balance the interests of consumers with the concerns of health plan sponsors and carriers, which told us that their computer systems were not set up to aggregate all of a person's out-of pocket costs. However, critics of the delay argue that most, if not all, insurance companies already set out-of-pocket limits, and this change is simply another give-away to the for-profit health care industry. And, many people expect that Republicans will use this additional delay to attack and discredit the president's healthcare law.
Patient advocacy groups, like the Multiple Sclerosis Society, are furious about how this latest delay will effect individuals who require expensive medical care. Theodore Thompson, of the MS Society, said, The promise of out-of-pocket limits was one of the main reasons we supported health reform. It's unclear whether these groups will pull their support for Obamacare because these limits will not be in place.
Already, there have been many mixed reviews about other provisions in the healthcare law being delayed, like the employer mandate. It's unlikely that most Americans will be happy about the news that private, for-profit insurance companies will get away with pushing even more healthcare costs on to patients.
- See more at: http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2013/08/another-obamacare-delay#sthash.1zTGUyeO.dpuf
Holy Crap!
forestpath
(3,102 posts)Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)So no worries on that score.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)they delay the pre existing conditions clause?
SHRED
(28,136 posts)awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)with two pieces of good bread. They keep stripping back the bread, though.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)"There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party
and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit stupider, more rigid, more doctrinaire in their laissez-faire capitalism than the Democrats, who are cuter, prettier, a bit more corrupt until recently
and more willing than the Republicans to make small adjustments when the poor, the black, the anti-imperialists get out of hand. But, essentially, there is no difference between the two parties." ― Gore Vidal
Safetykitten
(5,162 posts)at this rate, it looks like there will be more "surprises" to come. But the pre-existing? If that goes, it's a goner.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)lunasun
(21,646 posts)Harmony Blue
(3,978 posts)I have no reason to believe there will be a rollback on this. But yeah a lot of other portions of the ACA are in jeopardy of being in political limbo.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)jtuck004
(15,882 posts)to discuss internal deliberations, said: We knew this was an important issue. We had to balance the interests of consumers with the concerns of health plan sponsors and carriers, which told us that their computer systems were not set up to aggregate all of a persons out-of-pocket costs. They asked for more time to comply.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/13/us/a-limit-on-consumer-costs-is-delayed-in-health-care-law.html?hp
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)This shit is cruel.
Let me join you
Phlem
(6,323 posts)This is the only thing that he's "trying" to implement that I care about because it affects my bottom line and the rest of the 99%. If this goes down the shitter then I've seen more kneecapping of the working man than good come from this administration.
Not any of his policies have had a meaningful impact on my life and my friends and families.
Yes, it's all congress's fault, he doesn't have a magic wand, I want a pony, etc....
But there have been things he didn't have to do. Like throwing the professional left under the bus on FOX, let's see, signing 3 FTA's, having a fucking kill list, etc.....
What a bunch of fuck's we have to pick from to run our country.
Not good.
-p
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)(For the third time I've seen today)
Mojorabbit
(16,020 posts)They have had plenty of time to program their computers. Damn!
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)nt
DirkGently
(12,151 posts)ProSense
(116,464 posts)http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114297/obamacare-consumer-protection-delay-and-conservative-overreaction
Obamacare: Still not a trainwreck
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/08/13/obamacare-still-not-a-trainwreck/
Spirochete
(5,264 posts)the only part that's likely to kick in as scheduled? Gee, color me shocked.
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)It's cruel.
Spirochete
(5,264 posts)People need this NOW! Seems like if they can't repeal it, they'll have it die by a thousand delays. Bastards.
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)Republicans trying to repeal it all the time.
But the administration are the ones doing these implementation delays.
Because the companies say they aren't ready to do it yet. If this was something that helped their bottom line, instead of helping people get health care, I bet they would find a way to make it ready in time.
Spirochete
(5,264 posts)health care for poor people is only high on the priority lists of the poor people themselves, apparently.
Hydra
(14,459 posts)And with each protection for the people taken out, it's going to get larger.
Only pure luck got my head off the chopping block.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)shredfest
a2liberal
(1,524 posts)from corrupt/murderous companies that will use every possible excuse to deny the care you pay for when it's really needed, and also eliminate whatever small protections were there to try and counterbalance that, using bullshit excuses. Sounds like a great idea to fix healthcare! So much better than single payer!
pam4water
(2,916 posts)cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)What was it Max Baucus said again? Something about a "train wreck"?
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)dkf
(37,305 posts)They aren't going to get rid of it for goodness sakes.
Yes it shows the admin can't implement anything worth a damn, but wasn't it evident this was going to be a bumpy ride?
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)dkf
(37,305 posts)It's closer to implementation than everything else everyone wants, closer even than "shovel ready projects" from 2009.
uponit7771
(90,335 posts)...say different...
Bookmarked
dkf
(37,305 posts)quadrature
(2,049 posts)for these payment caps?
when a starting date is clearly defined.