"Can't afford health care? Wait 'til June"

[Peacetrain]

"NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- For millions of uninsured or underinsured Americans, health reform legislation will soon remove some of the barriers preventing them from getting the coverage they need.

The most immediate changes affecting those who don't have health insurance, or are not buying enough insurance to meet their needs, start in about 81 days."

http://money.cnn.com/2010/04/01/news/economy/health_reform_changes_for_uninsured_underinsured/?hpt=P1&iref=NS1

[Kokonoe]

1. Insurance corporations ablility to charge any amount does not make healthcare affordable.

The headline should say accessible only with a company profit.

[NorthCarolina]

2. I think the hardest hit will be those in the 50-65 age group

who may see premiums triple the amount of their younger counterparts. Especially those in that age group with a pre-existing condition like say mild hypertension or elevated cholesterol level.

[no limit]

3. Yeah, wait till June to see your premiums skyrocket

The insurance companies are already throwing a tamper tantrum by raising rates all across the country, they will continue to do so as nothing is prevent them from doing that right now.

And if cnnmoney is refering to the high risk pools I would love someone to tell me how much those high risk pools will really cost.

[Moosepoop]

6. No hard numbers, but the article says this:

Federal "high risk" pool coverage for adults, kids : Among the first measures to be instituted, the government will create a temporary Federal "high risk" pool to provide affordable coverage for uninsured adults and kids.

<snip>

Several states already have high risk insurance pools. High risk pools offer insurance at lower rates than the premiums offered to people with pre-existing conditions in the individual market.

<snip>

If an individual with a pre-existing condition is denied coverage by an insurer, he or she can apply to this new pool, said Deborah Chollet, health economist and senior fellow with Washington-based Mathematica Policy Research. "The government will charge a standard premium rate which won't be any higher than the premium that would be charged to you if you were healthy," she said.

[no limit]

7. There are many insurance companies that won't cover these people at all

there are other people that pay $2,000 a month for insurance. So forgive me for not getting too excited until I see some real numbers. These high risk pools do exist in many states, and they are insanely expensive.

[xxqqqzme]

10. I was in one of those 'high risk' pools here in CA.

My 'lower rate' premium was $468/mo in 1998 (I had just received the rate increase notice to $535/mo when I received my disability, w/ medicare, approval). Can't even imagine what it is now.

[WhiteTara]

4. the title makes it sound as if

if you can't afford it now, wait 'til June and watch the rates sky rocket.

[Peacetrain]

5. It does, doesn't it.. That is the title of the CNN article..I just copied and pasted

[Oregone]

8. The title is a load of BS.

Insurance, and subsequently care, will remain 'unaffordable' (an arbitrary term) for a sizeable portion of the population until its funding is tied directly proportional to the income that people make. Its the only way to really put a real 'sliding scale' measurement on it all, which can't be done with magic shell tricks, but with progressive taxation.

[Sebastian Doyle]

9. I trust the insurance companies to comply with the new law, and provide affordable rates for all

They're all responsible, patriotic corporate citizens.

[Vinca]

11. I'm really worried about the high risk pool eligibility.

Supposedly, you have to be turned down by big insurance before they let you in, but the insurance companies have another way of rejecting you: quoting a small fortune for coverage. I don't know what I'll do if I can't get into the high risk pool.

[newblewtoo]

12. Color me concerned too

My wife had two small fender bender auto accidents within six months a few years back (after thirty years accident free) and we ended up in the assigned (high) risk pool. It was cheaper to buy clunkers and liability only. Sure they would insure us but the price was ridiculous.

But something like that would never happen with medical insurance. Right?? :nuke: