obamacare?

[Lara239]

I dont want to start a political argument here but I want to ask you guys what you think of Obamacare and what it will mean for people with cancer. I am asuming is a good thing, right? I just do not know much about it but I do know I am happy that my hubby cannot be turned down due to pre-existing health issues (cancer). I am a bit worried it may effect treatment options and what doctors we can go to (can we pick our doctors still or will be "assigned" to ones). I used to live in Holland and was on socialized healthcare. Honestly, it was great healthcare if you were not that sick...easy to get a doctors appointment and state of the art equipment..everything was "free" basically. The problems over there seem to be when you are older and have a serious health issue (like cancer or heart disease)...they put you on a wait list or make treatment decisions based on age. Do you think that will happen here? I am just curious (because again, have not really been following it) what everyone here thinks about Obamacare and if you think it is good for cancer patients.

[BrownBagger]

Great topic, but let's try to keep politics out of it, if we can.

[Stomatrooper]

Lara - This is an interesting question Non-US residents too - I have wondered exactly what Obamacare is - what it covers/how it works?
I assume it is a form of national health insurance that covers the population up to a certain level ?- some time ago I was inquiring on this board for comments on how the health system works elsewhere and the good and bad sides of their systems - no-one responded, maybe because it is seen as a political motivated question, which it isn't - just interested, I see the good and bad in our system, interested in the good and bad of others - note your comments about age-discrimination in the Netherlands.
(in NZ we have public funded health system with a private system 'piggy-backing' (revieving?) onto it to some degree - it works generally OK, and arguably best suited to a small population like ours at least, but like all things could be better - I assume in the US, for example, the health system is all privately owned and funded and the government (Obamacare) insurance system covers some private care to a certain level in this system)

[Lara239]

Great topic, but let's try to keep politics out of it, if we can.

I agree...no arguing about politics. I just want to know in general what cancer patients think of Obamacare in general and what it will mean to us. I dont want to talk about elections or anything else....just Obamacare as we know it will impact people with pre-existing diseases.

[Lara239]

Lara - This is an interesting question Non-US residents too - I have wondered exactly what Obamacare is - what it covers/how it works?
I assume it is a form of national health insurance that covers the population up to a certain level ?- some time ago I was inquiring on this board for comments on how the health system works elsewhere and the good and bad sides of their systems - no-one responded, maybe because it is seen as a political motivated question, which it isn't - just interested, I see the good and bad in our system, interested in the good and bad of others - note your comments about age-discrimination in the Netherlands.
(in NZ we have public funded health system with a private system 'piggy-backing' (revieving?) onto it to some degree - it works generally OK, and arguably best suited to a small population like ours at least, but like all things could be better - I assume in the US, for example, the health system is all privately owned and funded and the government (Obamacare) insurance system covers some private care to a certain level in this system)

I actually do not even understand it myself unfortunately. That is why I opened this topic up.

[Laurettas]

I, for one, have concerns about it. We know that there are going to be boards looking at people's health care situations and determining what the course of care will be. These boards, I am assuming will not include the individual's personal physician or the individual themselves.

President Obama did state, when running for office the first time, that "Granny" may have to take a pain pill rather that get a joint replacement. That, to me indicated some level of health care rationing.

I think we can expect pretty much what other countries with socialized medicine experience. I have heard that in several countries in Europe, expensive drugs like Avastin are basically only available for people enrolled in trials.

I was reading a year or two ago about a cost analysis being done to determine health care decisions. I believe this was included in the Obamacare regulations.

Some physicians I have listened to are concerned as well. They feel that their doctor/patient relationship is going to be jeopardized by third party involvement in health care decisions.

I read a commentary by someone who actually read the complete Obamacare document. They were quite concerned. Wish I could remember where I saw that and I would post a link.

Yes, only time will tell if the positive aspects of Obamacare will outweigh the negatives.

[Coppercent]

I am not 100% sure how it will work but it was explained to me that it would work like Medicaid/Medicare/Tricare. And that it will not affect those with private insurance too much. It allows those that can't afford medical coverage to be covered. So everyone being covered by healthcare is a good thing. And the pre-existing condition is a great thing! I used to have TriCare. When we moved here I had a hard time finding a physician that would take me because I had TriCare. They all said that they only had to have 10% of there practice with TriCare/Medicaid patients but I could be put on a waiting list to become a patient when they lost one of their current TriCare/Medicaid patients. When I had to have ear surgery the only ENT practice that would accept me with TriCare insurance was one with a poor reputation. So I ended up paying for private insurance to be able to choose my physicians. When I had my last surgery the nurse was telling me that now they have government guidelines as to which anti-biotics that they had to use if the insurance company was going to reimburse the procedure. If they didn't use the required anti-biotic the surgeon or hospital would have to pick up the bill. I think as with all things there will be good and bad in the new system and it will take time to work out the kinks.

[kelltx]

Hi Lara :

I am currently denied by my insurance once it ends in a couple of weeks because of my cancer diagnosis. I am eligible for the govt. healthcare PCIP (for people with pre-existing condition) only if I don't have insurance for six months but not if I am denied. I can go to risk pool and pay a $700 premium and then wait for 6 months for my benefits to start. But $700 every month is not feasible for me when I am not working consistently. So, Godwilling I will have my reversal before my insurance ends (5 weeks from the original surgery and thats why I am pushing it so much) and then will have no insurance for six months to be eligible for govt. healthcare. Imagine, all my treatment will stop for these six months. And then my chemo will start again.

Now, with Obamacare, from October 2013, no insurance company can deny me insurance for having a pre-existing condition. Nor will I have to pay an outrageously high premium to get benefits. I will pay what others do. Also, currently we have a max limit on insurance but obamacare stops that game. So, there is no cap and if someone's treatment costs $2.5 million, the insurance company cannot say 'we will pay up to $1 mil and rest you have to pay." Many insurance companies have already adopted this part of the policy, which helps patients with severe and expensive diseases.

Currently, with my cancer situation, I am thinking of going over to Cuba for chemo if need be cause there is no way I can afford chemo from out-of-pocket. If Obamacare had existed already, I would not have had to stress myself about the next six months when all I can do is pray to God nothing turns bad for me. So, these are the benefits of Obamacare for me.

And I am sure, this will be beneficial to many people like myself who are denied due to pre-existing and cannot afford the high premium risk pool, so some lives should be saved.

May your husband get well soon. xx

[BrownBagger]

I think it's a good start, but it certainly needs to be refined and tweaked as we move forward.

Over the near term, it shouldn't affect those of us with health insurance. Over the longer term, hopefully it will bring down healthcare costs as fewer people wind up in the ER with no way to pay the bill, etc. Hopefully, we'll have a healthier population with fewer people getting advanced (and very expensive) disease. And, with nearly everyone insured, it should help bring down insurance costs. Those are my hopes, at any rate.

Obviously, we're going to need more doctors and other medical professionals, with more people getting adequate care. I don't think that will be a problem, as the best and brightest people around the world will still want to become doctors and practice in the United States. I have certainly encouraged my own (bright) college graduate to consider a medical career with her Biology degree and desire to pursue a graduate-level education. I think medicine is clearly a promising career choice. (Wish I could say the same about education, but that doesn't appear to be the direction we're heading in at the moment.

[Lara239]

From what I understand (correct me if I am wrong because like I said, i really dont know a lot about it), if you do not have some type of healthcare (everyone will be required to have a policy or be fined) then you will be fined. If People cannot afford healthcare then how will they afford the fine? So confusing....

[RayGirl]

Over the near term, it shouldn't affect those of us with health insurance.

we have private insurance through a professional society group program, they acts as administrative "go-betweens" with a larger insurance company. They are great about bullying the insurance company to paying for things, when many people who have a direct account with the same company get denied the first time. About six months after obamacare passed, I recieved a letter from our private insurance that said they were applying for a variance that allowed them to still limited their customers to only those who qualify to be in the society versus becoming open to the public. Their business model worked on small scale but they had no desire to grow large enough to accomendate the potential increase clients.

We're still waiting to see if the variance is approved, so I may actually lose my great insurance courtesy of this policy.

[janklo]

You know it just irritates me when people complain about those who do not have insurance having to be fined. Because the truth is - if those people do not have insurance, they will eventually still need healthcare. Then they will go to the ER. And then all of us who are responsible and do have health insurance will end up paying for them. In most states, you have to have car insurance for the same reason, so I do not have a problem with people being required to have medical insurance.

The good things about "Obamacare" are having kids up to age 26 on parents insurance, having preventative care paid for at 100%. I feel the good things by far will outweigh the bad things.

You know people never like it when government intervenes - but right now we are taking advantage of FMLA for our family and thank goodness it's available! We can be gone from work and not have to worry about losing our jobs or our health insurance.

[JAZZToo]

Obama care is over 2,000 pages of rules, regulations, guidelines, and tax increases, most of which are yet to be detailed and written. Committees of laymen, not MDs will decide on the basis of statistical studies what treatments are most effective at reasonable cost for the average patient. The problem with that, is we are not "average patient" but distinct individuals with our unique backgrounds of family history and prior medical conditions and reactions to prescribed treatments. Doctors will not be free to direct patient care if they want to be reimbursed, but will have to adhere to the decided guidelines.

There is also a question of whether you will be able to keep your own physician, since many may retire or leave due to extensive patient overload, overhead paperwork, decreased payments, and the increased use of nurses instead of MD practitioners in clinic like environments.

I don't know if any of you remember, but when HMOs were first developed and promoted as a health care cost containment solution, the bean counters were more concerned with profits than with providing the sometimes necessary expensive consultations and medical care. Scans were routinely denied, as were treatments considered experimental; and required repetitive appeals to the HMO. Over the years, restrictions lifted and MDs were given more say, but it seems that we will be reverting to a similar controlled medical environment, and one not controlled by physicians but by unaccountable political appointees, answerable to no one.

Leslie

[KarMel]

Some physicians I have listened to are concerned as well. They feel that their doctor/patient relationship is going to be jeopardized by third party involvement in health care decisions.


Yes, only time will tell if the positive aspects of Obamacare will outweigh the negatives.

The doctor /patient relationship is already jeopardized by third party involvement. Private insurance companies deny doctor recommended treatment all the time. Is it going to get worse? Maybe. Too soon to tell, IMO.

A patient in our office works two prt time jobs. She makes too much money to get Medicaid. Doesn't make enough to afford to buy her own insurance.
She needed a Hysterectomy, and promised our office she would pay $100 per month. Her surgery was in March. So far, she hasn't been able to pay anything. This is someone Obamacare could have helped.

[so-scared]

My aunt died as a direct result of poor care by an HMO. She had breast cancer and was denied proper care. She was diagnosed at 36 and dead at 42. She won a large law suit but lost her life. I find manged care to be scary.