Historic Health Care Bill Passes House, Obama to Sign on Tuesday (3/22/10)

“Health care reform has been a distant dream for generations of working Americans, and while we didn’t achieve everything we wanted in reforming our health care system, we have made large strides in fixing a badly broken system,” said RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum after last night’s House passage of the health care reform bill. “This legislation will help millions of people, and it shows that when we stick together and make our voices heard, we can make history.”

Americans will notice several changes immediately after President Obama signs the bill into law on Tuesday. Reforms that will take effect in 2010 include:

 -Children can stay on their parents’ health insurance policy until their 27th birthday.

-Insurance companies can no longer place a cap on lifetime benefits.

-Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to children due to “pre-existing conditions.”

-New private insurance plans will need to cover preventive care such as check ups without co-pays.

-$250 rebate for seniors to help pay for the “doughnut hole” in Medicare drug coverage.

Over the next 10 years, these reforms will be expanded to cover almost all Americans, and a network of health care exchanges will be created, allowing families and business to use subsidies to shop for low-cost insurance plans. By 2020, the so-called “doughnut hole” gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage will be completely closed. Currently, Medicare patients fall into the donut hole after a total of $2,700 is spent on drugs, and drug coverage doesn't begin again until after $6,154 is spent.

 “Thanks to the leadership of President Obama, for the first time ever we will see real health care reform which will help millions of uninsured Americans finally obtain health insurance, and end the worst health insurance company abuses. No longer will parents be told their kids are uninsurable due to ‘pre-existing conditions,’ and no longer will insurance companies be able to cap benefits and leave sick people holding the bag.” Appelbaum added.