Sticky: Obama Cares – Change That Matters

Forget the noise and the nonsense, this is the real thing: Real people and real lives improved, and even saved, because of president Obama’s policies – Health Care Reform is just one of them. That’s what matters. The rest is just white noise, disgusting politicians, la-la-land blogosphere and corrupted media.

This is only the appetizer. This post will be stuck here for a long time.  

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I suffered cardiac arrest due to a misdiagnosed genetic heart problem.  The misdiagnosis initially occurred 23 years ago, but in the intervening years both my former doctors and insurance company refused to look further at my symptoms with the latter threatening to drop me and tag me as having a pre-existing condition. I had tests done twice, and they showed me free of this disease and I was informed I could never develop it after a certain age, a statement that is and was clearly wrong. I was told further testing was unnecessary and would not be approved In effect, the insurance company drove the medical diagnosis despite the fact that my sister already had a pacemaker because of this condition.

Fortunately I still have managed to hold onto my insurance, despite the cost (I am self employed) and the medical team that treated me on October 4 used an innovative procedure that saved my life.  With no lifetime cap, a raised annual cap and no ability to drop me for getting sick, my insurance company contacted me and told me they would pay for a wellness coach in order to help with my recovery.  My cardiac arrest occured 11 days after portions of HCR took effect and every day I am thankful for the first very big steps this President helped us take toward changing the way health care is provided in this country.

We do have a great health care system for all who can access it-too many cannot or are tossed out of it not by the doctors but by the insurance companies.  Without HCR, I do believe I would have been dropped by my insurance company shortly after this happened and my access to these wonderful doctors would be at an end.  I confess I wanted a public option, but, when I woke up in that hospital and knew I was alive and my insurance would not be cancelled, the true impact of these first steps hit me on a very personal level.  I also know any repeal of HCR by the new Congress could literally kill me.

My gratitude toward this President knows no bounds.

Molly Ivans

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 I was able to get help on my mortgage in 2009 with the Obama foreclosure recovery. I took a huge pay cut in 2007 when I had to change jobs.  I did all the wrong things with my condo:  I refinanced 3 times and used my equity as an ATM machine.  I didn’t “retrench” when I changed jobs and live within my means.  I skipped a few mortgage payments and lived on credit cards too much.  By 2009, I was in some deep trouble.

 Then the stimulus happened.  It occurred to me that I may qualify for some help. I talked to my bank and asked if I could do any of the Obama refinancing that was part of the stimulus.  My bank was receptive and my monthly mortgage payment was reduced, as well as my interest rate.  The bank is getting paid and I am able to breath easier.   I still have to watch my spending, but that is a good thing.

 This is change that matters as I get to keep my home.

KnowHopeLisa

 

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My doctor will tell you that I am a chronic under utilizer of medical services.  The first thing I hear – when I finally make an appointment – is always how long it has been since the last one.  But let me explain:

 In 2003, at age 60, I became seriously ill and needed major surgery.  At the time, I was working two part-time jobs.  Neither one offered health insurance.  I had tried for some time to obtain coverage, but could not afford the premiums on my very moderate income.  So I found myself in a terrible situation.  A single person, with very little in savings, unable to work for several weeks, I was dealing with $25,000 in hospital and medical bills and follow-up care.  I came perilously  close to losing my home.  In 2011 – eight years later – the picture has brightened, although  I am still paying down the debt.  But I am now on Medicare, enjoying the security of knowing that this kind of disaster will not happen again.  I can’t even begin to imagine how different these last 8 years would have been if the ACA had been enacted earlier. 

 But why have I not taken advantage of Medicare and started more regular checkups and appointments?  Well, after my surgery, my doctor ordered all the tests that had been neglected for so long.  Initially, this added a lot to the mountain of debts, since I still had no insurance with no prospects of being able to afford it until  I became eligible for Medicare.  So I rationed everything, including visits to the doctor and especially all the highly recommended tests.  I simply could not pay for them and I still couldn’t afford them, even after Medicare kicked in. 

So now, with ACA, I will finally be able to have a yearly exam and all the tests at no additional cost.  I have been  told many times that the proper preventive care is vitally important.  I am immensely grateful that the ACA  has made this a reality for me and so many other seniors. 

Thank you, President Obama!

Hanna

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 My 23 year old son now has health insurance on my family coverage policy. He could not afford coverage for the past 2 years.

 Leslie, Graves County, Kentucky

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Six months ago I discovered I had  prostate cancer. We did not have healthinsurance due to trumped up pre-existing conditions.  During the always frustrating and sometimes terrifying ordeal of trying to get the particular surgeon and surgery I so desperately needed , Kay and I dedicated a substantial amount of what ever future I have to helping  in any way possible improving our shattered healthcare system.

Obamacare is a start. It has already saved my life through the new pre-existing condition insurance funded by the Feds and administered here in Colorado by Rocky Mountain Health Care and a program called “Getting US Covered”. Through them I was able to become insured and was able to receive life saving surgery just four weeks ago. But where do we go now? We have had a life changing experience, but do not yet know how to use our new found knowledge of the medical system that is capable of “level one care for all” but that only provides that level of care to some and sends others home to die.

Robert L. Parker

 

 

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Jennifer’s daughter, Allison, is 9 years old and was diagnosed seven years ago with a rare genetic disorder called Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I). She is administered an enzyme replacement therapy, but Allison has a $2 million lifetime max on her father’s health insurance policy and could be above $1.7 million of her lifetime max by the end of 2010. Under the Affordable Care Act, Allison will have the lifetime limit on care removed.

Jennifer Restemayer, Bismarck

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Having hemophilia all his life, Paul understood the importance of a job with good health insurance benefits and sought work in the federal government. After five years, Paul left his position in government and enrolled in a health insurance continuation of coverage which lasted eighteen months. When this extension ran out he enrolled in an individual plan in Virginia with a $1 million cap. In three years, Paul exhausted this policy because of costs related to the treatment of hemophilia. With options to change jobs, move to another state, or apply for disability status, Paul was faced with some very tough decisions. As it turned out, the company where Paul works enrolled him in an employee plan with a $6 million cap; Paul has already used about $1 million worth of coverage. The Affordable Care Act will lift this cap on how much health care he can receive.

Paul Brayshaw, Falls Church

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James was diagnosed with brain cancer in March. Shortly thereafter, his insurance company rescinded his coverage claiming that his cancer was a pre-existing condition. He thought the lack of coverage was a death sentence. Fortunately, he was able to join the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan and is now getting the treatment he needs.

James Howard, Katy, TX

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My daughters now have health insurance until they are 26, this gives me tremendous  peace of mind.

Linda

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On Sept. 22 I had the incredible good fortune to travel to Washington, D.C., to to join an informal backyard gathering with President Barack Obama and more than a dozen other participants from around the country who will benefit from the new health care protections that went into effect on Sept. 23. We gathered to share our stories of how the ACA (Affordable Care Act) and its Patient’s Bill of Rights will improve our own and our families’ health as well as the financial well-being of our country’s small businesses.

The president spent well over an hour listening to people tell their stories of how the health care reform provisions will improve their lives, sometimes dramatically. I met people who no longer face denial of coverage because they have a pre-existing medical condition or have exceeded their lifetime health insurance limit. In attendance were young people who will continue to be covered by their parent’s insurance policy until they turn 26 and people who will benefit from not having to pay co-pays or deductibles for recommended preventive care.

The significance of the new law for us at Hawthorne Auto Clinic is that we will now be able to continue our employees’ health care coverage. Our company is one of over 4 million small businesses now eligible for the new health care tax credits. Our health care costs for our employees and their families had reached 20 percent of payroll — an unsustainable burden. The effect of this tax credit for our company will be to return our health care expenses to 2008 levels, which is a major cost reduction.

My visit with President Obama was truly remarkable, and I was most impressed with how hard he and his administration have been working to address our health care crisis and make these health insurance reforms a reality.

During our visit, the president remarked on the challenge of providing Americans with the information necessary to take advantage of the new health care law. In my research before making this trip, I was surprised to learn how few Americans actually know what the ACA provides. To learn the facts about how the ACA will enable all to take control of their health care needs, access the new law’s details at whitehouse.gov.

For a non-partisan evaluation of the ACA, the respected Kaiser Family Foundation website has excellent information. To learn how the ACA can help America’s 4 million small businesses provide health insurance coverage for their employees, check out mainstreetalliance.org.

We owe it to ourselves to understand and take advantage of this new health care reform law.

 
Jim Houser, Portland

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  I was in a group discussion with one of my Maryland state legislators, each one talking about their biggest goals for the upcoming legislative session.  The legislator said one of his goals is to get a wind farm going off the coast of Maryland (Chesapeake Bay, I think).  He said one glitch they had was with the Navy and either their ships or planes (I can’t remember the details) but the Obama administration made some changes that will enable these windmills to operate.  I wish I had the exact details but the upshot was, here is an administration working on many, many fronts to make cleaner energy happen in this country. 
  
Elly in Maryland

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 Michael Story of Meridian, Mississippi was uninsured for three years, has a pacemaker and could not obtain any health insurance coverage. After learning about the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, he applied to join the program and has been accepted.

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Augustina Rodriguez of Winchester, California  a senior citizen living on a fixed income, has received a $250 donut hole rebate check that helped defray prescription drug expenses. By 2020, the donut hole will be closed.

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Nan Warshaw from Chicago is a mother and small business owner in Chicago who makes the health insurance decisions for her seven person staff. Her company covers the full cost of insurance for her employees and they have seen premiums skyrocket in recent years. The new small business tax credits will make it easier for Nan’s business to provide coverage to her employees and the law will also help crack down on unreasonable premium hikes.

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Joshua Lapps from Nazareth, PA, is a graduate student and had insurance at school, but it didn’t offer adequate coverage. Recently, he applied to rejoin his parents’ plan as a dependent and was accepted. Now, Josh will have higher-quality affordable coverage until he turns 26, allowing him to continue his studies with the peace of mind that he has the coverage he needs.

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Ralph Christopher Byrd from Phoenix, AZ, has twins that have been diagnosed with a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and he at one time feared they would reach their lifetime limits on care under his old insurance policy. Treating someone newly diagnosed with SMA is expensive, and his children require constant care. The Affordable Care Act eliminates lifetime caps on benefits and helps ensure Chris and his family will never have to worry about lifetime limits on coverage.

 

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