NO CHOICE
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Happy Friday Healthcare Advocates
Still collecting inputs from state insurance commissioners on the rate of health insurance denial in their state. I will publish what I learn here. Please post subjects you’d like to see by clicking the comment button at the bottom of the newsletter. Any comments you have for me are most welcome.
Insurance News
So many Republican politicians subscribe to the “YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO”, or “YOU CAN’T MAKE ME” mantra to the detriment of their constituents. Let me explain.
Do you remember their battle cry with respect to the Affordable Care Act? It was Repeal and Replace.
Well, they did not repeal it but they took out many of the teeth. The mandate to have insurance was removed. Allowable use of high deductible emergency health plans (not ACA-compliant) were extended from 3 months to a year and allowed to be renewed for up to 3 years. These are mostly worthless since the deductible can be over $10,000 and they generally cover no prevention. So for most needs the patient winds up as an “out of pocket” patient paying all costs.
Now, Republicans in the House of Representatives have passed a new measure to reduce the expense of healthcare to employers. It is HR 3799, the CHOICE Arrangement Act. Here is how it saves money for employers:
Allows employers to band together and purchase group insurance
Allows employers to offer subsidies to certain classes of workers to purchase their own health insurance
Sounds OK on the surface. But it is the employee who loses big time.
In the first scenario the group or association plans can be less expensive because they don’t have to meet all the Affordable Care Act requirements, such as covering a specified set of benefits that includes hospitalization, prescription drugs, and mental health care. Less coverage provided for less money.
In the second scenario, the targeted groups of employees may be in a high risk category because of their job function, sex, or exposure to workplace risks. While they could indeed buy ACA plans, they may be paying significantly more because of those risks, especially sex and age. Republicans just say they are looking for ways to help save money for small employers because healthcare premiums keep rising cutting in to profits. (Kaiser Family Foundation)
I strongly agree that insurance cuts into business expenses and it is unfair. But the real solution is Universal Healthcare, HR 3421, the Medicare For All Act. It will have an overhead rate of 2% not the 14% to 20% commercial insurance has. It cuts out $400 billion in unneeded overhead every year. For most it will cost less, deliver more, cover everyone, cradle to grave, with no exclusions for preexisting conditions and no pre-authorizations. Our 35 peer industrialized nations use Universal Healthcare of some kind to keep their populations healthy at lower cost and make sure that their businesses can compete world wide.
Since the CHOICE Arrangement Act passed the House. The Senate will now have an opportunity to vote on it. I vote NO. It is a bad deal for the people who get those plans, employees.
ACTION
Let’s let our Senators know that the CHOICE Arrangement Act is a bad deal for employees. If they want to save employers money on health insurance, the way to do it is to pass Universal Healthcare, either HR 3421 or S.1655. Their contact info is here.
You can use RESISTBOT to send the email below to your Senators and Congressperson. From your cellphone text to 50409 SIGN PNMXMY.
“ I am your constituent and I am so disappointed that the House passed HR 3799, the CHOICE Arrangement Act. I know employers want to lower health insurance premium costs to be more competitive, but buying cheap policies that don’t comply with the ACA is not the way to protect employees. Giving some classes of employees a subsidy to buy an ACA policy will create a huge cost burden for many employees, especially older workers and women. I STRONGLY URGE my Senators to vote NO on this legislation.
The REAL answer is to pass Medicare For All, either HR 3421 or S 1655. $400 billion less in overhead every year according to the CBO, cover everyone cradle to grave. That’s real help for employers and employees alike.”
Find My Elected Officials
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/addr/
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare
Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Organizations to Contact
National Nurses United Medicare4All
Physicians for a National Health Plan
Reproductive Health
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Planned Parenthood
Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.
United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.
Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.
If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water Resistbot write up