President Obama: "You Should Hear These (Health Care) Stories"

[bigtree]

President Barack Obama greets Gail O'Brien, from Keene, N.H., in the backyard of a private residence in Falls Church, Va., today to discuss the Patient's Bill of Rights and health care reform. Earlier this year, O'Brien was diagnosed with high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and had no health insurance. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)


from the WH: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/09/22/president-obama-you-should-hear-these-stories

EARLIER today, President Obama sent an email to the White House email list about the Patient's Bill of Rights - which goes into effect tomorrow - and the brand new WhiteHouse.gov/HealthReform. If you didn't get today's email, be sure to sign up for the White House email list now.

Six months ago, Gail O'Brien didn’t know whether or not she would be able to treat her cancer. Betsy Burton wasn't sure if she could afford to keep paying the skyrocketing premiums for her employees' health insurance. Paul Horne was struggling to make ends meet after his prescription drug coverage hit the "donut hole.

The thing about these stories is that they could happen to anybody. Millions of Americans -- maybe even you or someone you know -- have been struggling for years with our broken health care system. These stories are what inspired me to fight for the Affordable Care Act and made me so proud to sign this landmark legislation into law six months ago.

Every day, I hear from Americans like Gail, Betsy and Paul, and a few of these folks have stepped forward to bravely share their stories with the entire country. Take a minute to hear what they have to say:

The Affordable Care Act is already making a difference in the lives of millions of Americans. And starting tomorrow, the Patient's Bill of Rights goes into effect, ending some of the worst abuses of the insurance industry and putting you, not your insurance company, in control of your health care.

Here's what the Patient's Bill of Rights means for you:

* No more discrimination against kids with pre-existing conditions. Insurance companies can no longer bar families from purchasing coverage because of a child's pre-existing condition.
* No more lifetime coverage limits. Insurance companies can no longer put a lifetime limit on the amount of coverage you can receive.
* Young adults can now stay on their parent's plan. Young adults can stay on their parent's health insurance plan up to age 26 if their job doesn't provide health care benefits -- a huge relief for many parents and recent college graduates.
* Free preventive care. If you join or purchase a new plan, the insurance company will be required to provide preventive care like mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations, pre-natal and baby care without charging you any out of pocket costs.
* Freedom to choose your own doctor. If you purchase or join a new plan, you have the right to choose your own doctor in your insurer network.
* No more restrictions on emergency room care. Insurance companies will not be allowed to charge you more for out of network emergency services if you purchase or join a new a plan.

This is a long-overdue victory for American consumers and patients. For years, millions of Americans have been at the mercy of their insurance companies as they jacked up rates, denied coverage or dropped patients all together.

Now, some opponents of this reform have pledged to "repeal and replace" all of the progress we've made over the past six months. But I refuse to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny a child health care due to a pre-existing condition or impose a lifetime limit on care for a cancer patient. Those days are over.

The Affordable Care Act provides basic rules of the road that make our health care system work for consumers. It cuts costs and will help us begin to get our fiscal house in order. And most importantly, it provides Americans with the peace of mind that their insurance will be there for them when they need it.

To learn more about the Patient’s Bill of Rights and the Affordable Care Act, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform

Sincerely,
President Barack Obama

P.S. Last week, I surprised Gail O'Brien by calling her at home. You can see what happened here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform


50 States, 50 Stories – New Health Care Website Launches Today
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/09/22/50-states-50-stories-new-health-care-website-launches-today

Remarks by the President in a Backyard Discussion on Health Care Reform and the Patient's Bill of Rights
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/09/22/remarks-president-a-backyard-discussion-health-care-reform-and-patients-

[Rex]

1. This is what the GOP hates the most about Obama, unlike their robot W

Obama has a very human side to him and is not afraid to show it. The best George could do was try and look kinda humanlike for the PR shots.

[no limit]

2. So what in his healthcare law actually helped this person?

[bigtree]

3. probably nothing, right?

you can see that in the expression on her face.

Seriously though, her victory in this legislation appears to be that she doesn't face exclusion from coverage because of her pre-existing health condition.

[no limit]

5. The email says her problem was that she couldn't afford the increasing premiums

nothing about that has changed.

And I don't think the exclusion from coverage has taken effect yet.

[bigtree]

6. what you look to be asserting here

. . . is that she likely still has problems paying high premiums That's not news to anyone. But I don't think even the most optimistic observers expected any significant impact or reversal of rising costs at this point.

The ban on exclusion from coverage for her likely hasn't yet kicked in, but this event appears intended to highlight the entire bill, as well as the changes which kick in today.

The event was a chance for the President to meet with folks who will be advantaged by the provisions of his legislation. It's definitely a political event, but I can understand the WH's desire for folks to have a good representation of who the bill is going to benefit, especially in the face of the disinformation campaign by the opposition which has had some success in distorting and turning folks away from the accomplishments in the legislation.

[no limit]

7. That's fine. But the president is trying to paint a picture that is not true, that HCR helped her

The fact is it didn't (not yet). And for millions of people in the same position as her aren't going to see help for a while either.

[Subdivisions]

4. If you'd read the post and links provided and watch the video

that the President provided, you would already know the answer to that question.

But, I'll save you all that trouble: Before the law passed, this person could not buy insurance because she was repeatedly denied coverage for her pre-existing condition, which is lymphoma. After the law was passed, she enrolled in her state's high-risk pool and became the first person accepted into that program. Now she is getting the care she needs.

[no limit]

9. Actually it is you that needs to read the links, not me

I can't watch the video at work but I can read the story posted in the OP. Her issue was not that she didn't have health insurance, she did. Her issue was that she could not afford that insurance. Nothing about that has changed. Yet the president is implying that the health care reform he passed helped her with this, no it didn't (not yet).

[Subdivisions]

15. She had no insurance. See Pirate Smile's post #10. It says, right in the video

at WhiteHouse.gov, that she was uninsured. She was able to get into the high-risk pool in New Hampshire, ultimately becoming the first person to do so in that state. She is now covered and getting her chemo treatments for high-grade Hodgkin's lympnoma, which she was suffering BEFORE she was accepted into the high-risk pool made possible by the new healthcare law.

Here is the video: http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/map

[no limit]

16. The site keeps crashing my internet browser here at home. But I did read that wrong

my apologies for the mistake. The issue I have is with the mention of a Betsy Burton in the email and not the person pictured. The claim is that she was afraid that she couldn't afford her premiums because they were going up. Nothing has changed about that. So I don't get why Obama would even use this as an example.

[Pirate Smile]

10. I watched it. She was uninsured when she was diagnosed. Through the High Risk Pool coverage she

was able to get insurance when that started July 1st and she started chemo on July 5th.

I found this: "Gail was previously uninsured and diagnosed with high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Thanks to the new law, Gail now has insurance through the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan that will pay for her treatments, and she is responding very well."

[no limit]

17. Thanks for the clarifications. I didn't read that right, my issue is with Betsy Burton's story

not the story of Gail O'Brien.

Nothing in this legislation will have an effect on cost for a very long time.

[eridani]

25. One of the 2000 out of 4 million eligible who have bothered with it

Well, at least affluent sick people can get some help.

[Lorien]

28. HOW MUCH DID IT COST?

What was her premium, co-pay and deductible? Until we know these facts I'm not the least bit impressed.

[Arkana]

8. Well, that woman is clearly just an Obamabot cheerleader.

She doesn't know that the President is secretly planning to auction off individual states to big banksters and DLC operatives.

[JuniperLea]

13. See her eyes? Obama has her hypnotized!

ooga booga! Be very afraid! Don't look at his eyes!

[Arkana]

21. BANKSTERS! DLC!

[Vinca]

11. I'm happy as a clam for this lady, but I live about 10 miles from her

in the same state and I can't afford the pre-existing condition pool. Fortunately, I'm not in a life or death situation at the moment, but I'm struggling to understand how some of us seem to be stuck in the same place dealing with the same pain and the same problems while others - apparently people with greater wealth - can get care. It isn't fair and it isn't all that different from pre-reform. It makes me want to cry . . . again.

[Raven]

12. Vinca! I live in Marlborough! n/t

[Vinca]

14. I'm in the other direction about a mile from Vermont.

For some reason I thought you were in Jaffrey. Beautiful fall day today, wasn't it?

[no limit]

18. How much is it? I've been wondering that.

I heard it's extremely expensive but haven't seen any numbers.

[Vinca]

26. It varies by state. The federal plan - available in some states -

is generally a little closer to the ball park of affordability. In New Hampshire, where the state plan was expanded, the top rate is about $1,600 a month. Since my husband and I both have pre-existing conditions and are over 60, we would be looking at about $3,000 a month. If you're youngish you might be able to find coverage you can afford. It seems they pretty much want to load the older people onto an iceberg and push them out to sea.

[bigtree]

19. kick

[subterranean]

20. "Freedom to choose your own doctor in your insurer network"

How is this any different from the situation before? Why is it being touted as something new?

[bigtree]

22. I don't think that's been universal or mandated

[eridani]

24. In other words, your insurer network gets to fuck with you and jack you around

--taking doctors on and off their lists. Not to mention your employer jacking your around by changing insurers.

[Luminous Animal]

23. How much does it cost. What are th co-pays.

The important details are missing here.

[Lorien]

27. And what's the deductible

As a self employed person mine ranged from $10,000-$12,200.00-20% copay after it was met. I could never afford care with an income of 24k.

[JNelson6563]

29. Good stuff!

Interestingly of little interest here though.

Julie