[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zLJe0JGN4M&w=420&h=315]
During a speech this morning by President Barack Obama on Obamacare, a woman standing directly behind the president began to wobble back and forth as if she was about to faint. Luckily, Obama realized there was something going on behind him and immediately turned around to catch the woman, making sure she remained steady on her feet.
Good catch Mr. President! Apparently the woman was attending the speech as a guest who was a beneficiary of the Affordable Care Act.
“I got you. You’re OK,” the President said. “This is what happens when I talk too long,” the president said after helping her get escorted off the stage.
article by aattp.org
My understanding of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and the health insurance marketplace is there are a few insurance plans offered called a platinum, gold, silver, bronze, and catastrophic. All health insurance plans offered on the marketplace must offer as a minimum the same set of services called the “essential health benefits”. The silver plans are the plans which offer any cost-sharing reductions for which the person may qualify. The plan level guidelines are platinum is for someone in poor health, gold is for fair health, silver for good health, bronze for excellent, and catastrophic for persons 30 years of age or younger.
Platinum is lowest deductible and highest premium, bronze lowest premium and highest deductible. Several private insurance companies will offer the various plans to the individual. Inquiries about specific plan coverage or premiums to be paid are made directly to the private insurance company. The person should select a plan based on their needs, and the network of doctors, services, and hospitals offered and not the lowest premium. Based on household income and family size, many people are expected to qualify for tax credits and/or cost-sharing reductions. Tax credits can be used to help pay the monthly insurance premium. If a person qualifies for a government sponsored plan like Medicaid or Chips, those will also be offered to the individual as an insurance plan option.
The “essential health benefits” offered by the Affordable Care Act includes prescription drugs, lab work and blood tests, preventive services like counseling, screenings, and vaccines, doctor and clinic visits, emergency services, overnight stays in the hospital, prenatal, maternity and pediatric services (including kids dental and vision), habilitative and rehabilitative services for persons with disabilities and chronic conditions, and mental health and substance use disorder services.
Persons offered insurance coverage through their employer can shop the health insurance marketplace in search of a plan which might be deemed as a more “affordable” plan. Open enrollment dates are October 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014. “Exemptions” from health insurance coverage are available for those that qualify. All of this information is available on the healthcare.gov website.
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Thank you and good luck.