Current System

Obama Health Reform Plan

Health insurance coverage delivered through:

• Your employer
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Veteran’s Administration
• The Military

You will be able to keep the health insurance plan that you have.

You will be able to keep your doctors and health care providers

You can lose health insurance because:

• Your employer changes or ends your coverage;
• You lose your job. You aren’t eligible for, or can't afford, continuation of your policy;
• Your new employer doesn’t offer health insurance coverage;
• You cannot afford individual private insurance, or no private company will sell you a policy.

You will be able to purchase health insurance through a Health Insurance Exchange;

You will have a number of health plans from which to choose;

If you have limited income, you then will receive assistance with the cost of your monthly premium.

Denial of insurance coverage due to a pre-existing health condition:

• Health insurance companies can refuse to sell you a policy;
• Health insurance companies can sell you a policy, but can refuse to cover services related to your pre-existing health status.

You have a pre-existing health condition:

• Insurance plans no longer able to deny you a health care policy;
• Health insurance plans no longer able to deny payment of claims based on pre-existing conditions.

Discrimination by Health insurance companies based on:

• Gender (sex);
• Health status.

Insurance companies can charge higher premiums to selective groups.

Health insurance plans NO longer able to discriminate by charging you higher premiums based on:

• Gender (sex)
• Health status

Health insurance plans can charge exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses:

• High deductibles;
• High fees and co-pays;
• Limits on how much they will pay in a year and over a lifetime of coverage.

Limits insurance companies on increasing out-of-pocket costs (fees and co-payments):

• No cost-sharing for preventive care;
• Annual out-of-pocket caps;
• No annual or lifetime limits on how much coverage your insurance will provide;
• Prescription drug discounts to help seniors falling in the “Doughnut Hole”.

Escalating costs for insurance premiums

Systems instituted to help contain costs;

• A public health insurance option that competes with private plans will keep costs low as it encourages innovation and efficiency in health care.
• Other health system reforms, including a focus on prevention and coordination of health care, will help reduce costs.