Since it seems everyone could agree on this, it could easily be fixed with quick legislation if the courts say insurance companies have wiggle room to restrict coverage. Unless republicans don't want children covered.

Yeah...quick legislation......hope those children don't need anything until then.

Depends on how bad they want it. Construct or obstruct?

Sounds like they are not to sure of themselves, Meaning the politicians using the word should!

This is just one more glaring demonstration of why insurance companies need to be tightly controlled, or booted out of the health care industry altogether. Let them insure houses, cars, and yachts; health care needs to be not-for-profit, without the middle men.

More of the same from MSNBC...week late reporting the news...and when you get around to it just print the Admin lies and distortion...at least I can still count on you...This is a link to the AP story (signing day) and a quote from it

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Huge-loophole-allows-insurance-companies-to/y7qbDel9Wk6z62ekWCtJEA.cspx

"Under the new law, insurance companies still would be able to refuse new coverage to children because of a pre-existing medical problem, said Karen Lightfoot, spokeswoman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the main congressional panels that wrote the bill Obama signed into law Tuesday"

The POTUSINO went around the country for weeks lying about what was in the bill, well technically it wasn't a lie because he didn't know what was in the bill, and he still doesn't...

The law's intent is clear...it is to prevent insurance companies from writing new policies which exclude payments for pre-existing conditions...no where does it even hint vaguely about refusing to write policies for kids with pre-existing conditions....and if you believe the quote from the spokesman...Obama knew or should have known when he signed it, and knew or should have known when he went on his "selling tour" since it was the keystone

Does anyone hear know the meaning of the word "insurance"...if you dont maybe you should go try to get Auto insurance to cover the accident you had last week

Jack..."health care needs to be not-for-profit, without the middle men. "...If you mean git rid of all insurance, then I agree and I have a plan when our current system collapses,

let see where that rabbit hole leads...insurance companies, doctors, nurses, hospitals, medical laboratories, industries that provide gloves, syringes, MRI's, gowns, stethoscopes, pharmaceutical companies that research and provide life saving drugs...is that everybody

Is it fare that doctors have to pay to goto college...no lets make them non-profits also

Is it fare that a nurse should by groceries from a farmer that is trying to make a profit, farmers need to be non profit also

Is it fare that a doctor should have to buy a house that has profit built in, or maybe a non-profit Auto industry, and non-profit Airline industry...and so on

Insurance companies do not pay for the cost of health care - the individuals participating in the plan pay for everything, including the profits of the insurance company. For a business, the impact of this new rule is obvious. If they are faced with insuring a child with an expensive pre-existing condition, the obvious solution is to terminate the employee with the child. That gets both of them off of the insurance plan, and in today's job market, employees are disposable anyway. Replacements without sick kids are lined up waiting for a chance. This is just one of the unintended consequences of this ungodly excuse for a healthcare reform bill.

The insurance companies cannot write new policies which exclude payments for pre-existing conditions? So the old ones are just fine? Kid born with a heart defect - not covered? Has signs of asthma, and then gets an asthma attack at age 8 - not covered anymore, the signs were documented at age 2? Boo! Quit picking on the darn kids!

The insurance companies tried to defraud Americans once more (something the Republicans don't mind). Fortunately, they realized how disgusting their actions would have been.

riddels )#1.7):

The word is "fair."

Fire departments are not-for-profit. They do a pretty good job of putting out fires. They are funded by the community. Yes, it's "socialist," I know. I know. But it works.

Looks like there are a lots of haters. It has to be in the bill about everybody's else's children health care. Oh thats right we 'will know what is in the bill after its passed'. The health care bill is for the lazy people. They think that they need to be cared for like the little baby they are. Who has children and will not take of them. Now we feed, house, special ed these people. Now I have to pay for their health care.

Let's talk about fire departments and police departments for a minute....government did not create PD's or FD's...individuals from communities across America hired the best gun fighter to protect their towns form hoodlums / outlaws and after years of bucket brigades the same individuals from the same communities decided to hire a few town folk to fight fires...but neither was ever "socialist" in the truest sense of the word, I pay for the PD or FD to protect me and you pay for the PD/FD to protect you, just as we would pay someone to cut the grass or any other task, for the same reason our city/state property/sales taxes are not used to build schools/roads in neighboring communities and or states

...and you pay your federal tax dollars to do the job most States are unable to do without national help. I feel good that the FDA exists to protect me from unscrupulous vendors and manufacturers. I feel good that the FAA controls our air traffic, etc., etc.

This healthcare reform is a GREAT beginning, and will be updated, corrected as we find it is needed.

What in the world are you all complaining about???

here is the bottom line...everything the federal government tries to do should be good for all Americans or at least a vast majority...it should not be a punishment for the many to reward the few

and it should never be done by either side of the aisle for political gains at the expense of the majority of America...this has nothing to do with health-care affordability, it is about pandering to a political base

and because I know what the next post is...Bush left office with a mid 20's approval rating and Republicans were voted out of office in the last two elections...so the argument that where was the outrage during the last Admin...it was there...it is also here now and maybe that change we were all hoping for should be understood by the next batch of criminals in Washington

http://health.newsvine.com/_news/2010/03/29/4088355-obama-administration-sick-kids-are-covered#comments

Just in case any one gets confused...they basically rewrote the story...(probably the released approved story from the Administration)...and tacked it on to this blog...more of the MSNBC that I have come to admire

OMG, what a bunch of azz kissers.

Here is the thing, I'm an American who lives and works in a foreign country. This country has a national health system, its not in Europe. There are no ungodly waiting lines or crap treatment that the right wing guys scream at us about, there is no rationing or death panels. Its cheap, very cheap for routine treatments because a council sets the prices of common treatments / prescriptions / care. The price is set by vote with the membership consisting of doctors, representatives from hospitals, politicians and government reps. Getting my arm in a cast because I had a hairline fracture cost be about $100 USD total, I paid that much because I am not part of the government health plan and have to pay full price.

Why the hell can't the US get its act together. Health Insurance companies are evil EVIL entities that exist to suck money out of people. They exist to make a profit, they make a profit by taking in more money then they spend. You pay them $1000 USD, they MUST provide $900 USD in care and pocket the other $100. You could of instead spent the $900 USD on care and save the $100 on your own. Except nowadays prices are spiraling out of control and the blame lays all over the place.

There is nothing special about "American's" that requires special health care from anyone else in the world. We must kick the current vultures out of the system before they bleed us dry. Free market works because the consumer is allowed choices, they will always seek the best value for their money. Our current system is setup in such a way that the consumer can not search around because their all setting prices with each other. And in the end, how much is your life worth? To the insurance companies the only acceptable answer is "all your money".

Thank you, theotherguy1234. I noticed mo one answered your very astute post.

They insist on believing health insurance companies are a necessary evil. Poor, pathetic ppl are like masochists before the Republican scythe. THEY are the vampiric blood-suckers; not the many Americans who should have the dignity of health care in a civilized society.

Too bad we all fall if the masochists and the blood-suckers prevail ...

well michael and tog

I tend to agree that insurance is a lot of our problem as I have posted many times before, but a government ran healthcare system is not the answer either...I do have a plan that may satisfy both sides and cust health care cost by 60% this year, for individuals and government, save business trillions provide every American with their choice of health care and could do the same thing to Social Security and every other form of insurance...

we could leave current federal tax rates where they are now for about ten years to reduce the deficits then cut them in half, and not need to double them to pay for another bloated government program

Yeah. Insurers are your friends.

Of course they're agreeable.

They're going to make a killing on this reform.

Just as congress has set up.

This is like a bad soap opera.

That is so thoughtful of the insurance industry. Wonder how many children have died while they generated profits?

They can't oppose fixes to the language or it would show just how terrible they really are.

If the Insurance companies continue to imploy the Republican tactics, just say no-obstruct-delay-using electron microscopes looking for loop holes ect... I think the Dems should ressurect UNIVERSAL COVERAGE VIA MEDICARE IMMEDIATELY.

If they, the Ins. Co, continue to fight this law, it should be made clear in no uncertain trems, We The People will continue to push for full enforcement of this law !!!

Yes, children with pre-existing conditions will be covered in Sept, and everyone by 2014; BUT, at what cost? Granted, a high price for insurance would probably still be cheaper then the treatments, but if you have the bucks you'll have to pay it. It'll be costly.

2000 pages and this now

Ya gotta be kidding

What did these clown pass?????????????????????

Seriously STOP, you're going to criticize democrats on health care when the republicans sat on the side lines throwing snow balls?

Figures.

There's no sense being political on this now. Unless the states can get the Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional, it is the law of the land. Personally, I think they have a good shot at it. I don't like HCR, didn't want it, didn't do any good. I'm 62, 3 years from Medicare, and just trying to get that far. I'd hate to think that I got this far and got my cart dumped at the last minute? We will see?

I lived in Scotland for two years. I PERSONALLY talked to someone recently whose home was U.K. ... another from Canada.

They are APPALLED by our system, it is so bad!

The know nothing politicians have no idea how insurance works! The insurance companies have "actuaries", people of some knowledge with percentages and good mathematics to figure the cost of a particular group and the risks involved to cover their health lose! When you throw a bunch of heart transplants, liver transplant etc into the fray of normal groups with average illnesses the cost skyrockets and the insurance will skyrocket too or the insurance company goes under and they all lose their coverage! It is not magic, it is cost and effect, with a profit margine figured in so the insurance company may keep it's lights on! Good luck with your chicago/acorn crystal ball Mr Obama!

Eric..., you'll need to set aside your DNC / Organizing for America talking points for us th have a serious debate.

The GOP provided over 40 pieces of significant legislation on health-care all buried / never heard as the Dems controlled the agenda.

I have a signed letter from my House Representative confirmed this fact of the GOPs attempt to contribute, all thwarted by the DEMS.

This proves beyond a doubt, your (and Obama's) GOP sideline "snow ball" comment is pure garbage !!!

Dear "Stop the Statists" - much of the existing new law can be found in McCain's proposal from past years. The signed letter you have from your republican representative is another example of propagandizing for the futile exercise of repeal. It's time to move on and let our reps do the job of legislating & governing.

Norm of Denver: the reason this new plan MANDATES coverage is to get the healthy covered as well - that evens out the risk pool - and eventually, those young, health people will grow old & sick, and need young healthy people contributing to the pool. Speaking of "pools", your argument doesn't hold water.

Peace

Hmm more FUD. What exactly is wrong with a government controlled Universal health care system? Many MANY nations across the world employ such a system, including the one I'm currently living / working in now. Its paid for by an additional tax on your payroll, it doesn't even show up unless your self employed. Now the key is that the coverage does NOT cover everything under the sun. It covers all basic stuff / check ups / diagnosis. Most standard procedures and overnight emergency hospital stays. Get sick, cough, broken bone, bleeding cut, concussion, ect.. and they'll take care of you. It covers the diagnosis of cancer but not the treatment, amongst other illness's determined to be terminal. It covers pregnancy's and child birth, but not the fancy special facilities and expensive specialists. Its a system designed to cover 95% of the average working person's health expenses, and it does it quite well.

It does not cover anything cosmetic, anything "traditional oriental medicine", or anything considered elective (they will pay up to the cost of the standard procedure). And unfortunatly it doesn't cover anything mental.

For the above you must purchase your own insurance (cancer insurance is pretty popular nowadays). In this regard health insurance is treated exactly like fire / renters insurance, in that once the contract is drawn up the insurer can not back out unless you break one of the clause's (and there are laws about those as well).

Hospitals also are not these mammoth facilities like they are in the US. Most are just slightly above glorified clinics. A receptionist, dozen nurses, a few specialists and a couple of young doctors who manage it. Most close at 6~7 PM. The ones that stay open all hours are special emergency hospitals with an ER, they cost almost double of a normal one but keep staff members and a doctor present at all times of the day. There ARE big hospitals present in all city's, these have a fully staffed ER / OR and all the usual specialists but are very busy places, you only want to go there if you need to (usually referred by one of the smaller hospitals). Pharmacy's are the same way, all pharmacists can write their own prescriptions for common medications. You got a sneeze / cold? You don't go to a hospital you go to a pharmacy and tell the pharmacist, they then hand you the appropriate medications. If its serious they'll tell you to go to a hospital, if its really really serious the hospital might send you to one of the big hospitals for the specialists. If your just doing an overnight stay, your put in a big room with other people with a curtain around your rolling bed / gurney. Its not posh or spectacular but its not expensive either. You get a nurse that checks up on you every hour or so (or immediately if you hit this little button), after that your basically left alone until your observation period is over with.

This system does an amazing job of keeping health care costs down by only using what is needed. If you've ever sat down and perused a "medical bill" from a US hospital the damn thing is HUGE. So many line items, each over charging you. So many unneeded tests ordered by doctors afraid of getting slapped with a malpractice suite. So many unneeded things, did you REALLY need all that for simple stuff. And because simple stuff is so expensive in the USA we put it off until it becomes not-so-simple stuff, then its expensive and we run to the insurance company hoping they'll pay the massive bill.

Like I said ... private health insurance should not be a fix-all provide-all-care institution, its just not financially possible for it to exist as such. It should be for emergency's only, for when you get hit with something totally out of the blue that you could not account for.

I'm sorry to burst your bubble Mike, but Nancy Pelosi has already coined that phrase.

Ahhh...the old "I know you are, but what am I" rejoinder.

Wes...not a chance. Just like Social Security it's here to stay.

Wes,

You obviosuly have no moral valuse. How come you enjoy seeing the less well off suffer and die from our current filthy healthcare system?

Obama cares about people. You obviosuly onLy care about yourself. That's not welcome in AMERICA.

Wes,

"sweetness?" (Okay...whatever.)

You can't scare "vampires." Please stop trying. It only makes us angry, and then "we" start passing more and more "socialist" measures until there's no stopping us. Pretty soon you'll have to go to Costa Rica to join Rush, and before long we'd get to missing you. Please stop.

Parasites, leeches, and vampires! Oh, my!

Ummm...where did I accuse you of "lacking moral values?" Dancing with yourself there, "sunshine."

Your rhetoric, Wes, is the very definition of inflammatory. What, pray tell, do you hope it will accomplish? I mean, besides making you look ever more silly?

By the way - you haven't a clue about what I've either earned or contributed to the society in which I earned it. You know the old adage about assumptions, don't you?

I'll tell you a first-hand story:

My granddaughter was born with Tetrology of Follot --- a collection of four extremely serious heart defects. Because she was diagnosed in the womb and the timing was right, my daughter and son-in-law were both able to take "family" coverage at work instead of one taking coverage and the other not taking anything. Luckily my son-in-law works for a subsidiary of the parent of a premier HMO and my daughter works for a health insurance company.

She had several operations. Two on her heart then another to repair the damage accidentally done to her diaphragm while repairing her heart. And, of course, she got a major staph infection while in the hospital. But now she is a healthy, happy five-year-old. She will need one or two additional surgeries as she grows to resize dacron arteries to more adult sizes and there is always the chance that some complication will arise.

But the last five years have been sheer terror for my daughter and son-in-law. Her insurance is capped out for my grand-daughter and nearing the lifetime cap for the policy (she would be required to keep paying even though no additional claims would ever be paid.) My son-in-law's policy is more generous and is not yet capped out. However, one more surgery would cap it out and two would put it near the lifetime cap for the policy. That would mean that both of them would be paying for family policies that would never pay any claims. Fun concept, huh?

In addition, my daughter and son-in-law have lived in terror of one or both of them losing their jobs. If this happened, their finances would literally explode. Even if one or both of them found new jobs, no one would cover my grand-daughter. The only route that would be open to them would be to let themselves go bankrupt and hope that Medicaid would be able to provide for my grand-daughter. Both have had opportunities to move to better jobs but have had to decline because they would have health insurance problems.

Now, thanks to this "reform" by the health insurance industry, this will not be as much of a problem. Most likely things will work out well with the bulk of the new regulations kicking in by 2014.

My daughter and son-in-law are not deadbeats or social leeches. They both work hard and live within their means. The situation with my grand-daughter was not something that was caused by anything they did. Because they both have family plans, they pay high dollars for their insurance. This is not a political football ---- it is peoples' lives that you are ranting about.

And the oddest thing about it is that my daughter works for a health insurance company. Her job? She is reviewing, under court order, 300,000 denies cases (not claims) for disability and health insurance that were denied or "rescissioned." There are 4 reviewers and they do about 5 cases a day each on average. They find that over 95% of the denials or rescissions were illegal by the terms of the policy and the claims are paid with interest. Do the math and figure out how many years it will take for 4 people to review 300,000 cases. There isn't any justice --- only degrees of insanity.

Chris, You've brought up an interesting point----lifetime policy limits? I don't know how HCR deals with that issue----if it does at all? I just really don't know? Somebody who knows something solid on that issue needs to reply and give us both some insight?

Nancy Pelosi also said we do not need cows and their methane gas because we can get milk at "SAFEWAY"!

As far as we know, caps will still be there. But the difference is that now a person can change jobs, or even drop insurance at work and get it from a pool, so caps become close to ineffective. And there are annual caps, individual caps, individual lifetime caps and policy caps. Since they all have the same goal --- to deny coverage at the time of greatest need --- my guess is that caps are an endangered species.

It is also great that my grand-daughter can stay on her parents' policies until she is 26. Otherwise she would have been dropped at 17years and 9 months. (Since you can't get coverage on your own until you're 18, it causes an automatic gap in coverage that can be used as a loophole to deny coverage.)

I think what you are going to see is a slow closing of some of the more immoral and egregious insurance practices. The purpose of insurance is cover it when you need it, not drop you when you need it as the insurance companies would have you believe.

And the closing of rescission practices is also to be expected. 60 days is plenty to find out of someone put in their middle initial instead of their full middle name. When they are diagnosed with cancer is the wrong time to make that discovery.

What you shouldn't expect to see is much more talk of tort reform. (24 states already have it and their malpractice insurance is higher and rising faster than the 26 states without it.) But you might hear some about Malpractice Courts that use Special Masters to decide cases instead of juries. But this will be heavily opposed by the AMA since the Special Masters would have the ability to refer physicians for criminal prosecution or take their licenses while the current tort system uses settlement conditions to keep this from happening.

And you won't hear anything more about buying insurance across state lines. That was just an insurance company maneuver to try to neuter state insurance commissions and their regulatory ability. These kinds of things can only survive if hidden inside another issue.

Lifetime caps are banned.

http://www.cleveland.com/medical/index.ssf/2010/03/how_will_removing_lifetime_cap.html

http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news.aspx?s=72030 (third paragraph under the heading Health care reform for faculty and staff)

If these children aren't going to get the help they need, it's not going to be because the democrats didn't try to get it for them. The only ones to blame are the GOP and the insurance companies looking for every and all ways to dismantle these bills. It's the same thing they are doing to stop the continuation of unemployment checks to over a million people out of work with no other way to pay their bills. They don't care about these americans who have for generations fought and died for this country and worked their hands to the bone to make it what it is today. The GOP are the same people that left vietnam vets sleeping on the streets while they made love not war on their college campuses at the expense of mommy and daddy. They never cared about anyone but themselves. They are happy to have social security and medicare, but it never occured to them to help sick children. They were taught that weakeness is intolerable, and that is what they taught their children too. I am afraid we have a major divide in this country and we are going to fight it out.

How magnanimous of the insurance to comply with the law.

Gee, thanks folks, for a minute there I thought maybe you figured if the Republicans didn't vote for it you didn't have to "comply"...........

They say the next step is amnesty for 13 million illegal aliens? HCR was just the beginning----and Acorn is out of business?

acorn is not out of business they are busy changing their name and preparing for the next assault on America!

Nobody questioned it because if you dared question anything Obama came up with, you were labeled a racist. Happens on here all the time. He could run over a pack of puppies and kill every last one of them....if anyone made so much as a whimper over it....racist. I have a friend that comes on here to comment from time to time who is in an inter-racial marriage.....they called her a racist for disagreeing with how Obama was shoving this bill down our throats. Oh and by the way.....she's black.....her husband is white. It's frustrating and pathetic.

Stan and Norm,

You are both so laughable as to be eligible for Mad Magazine. Is that all you have is one line zingers? Anti everything?

Why are you even alive? You should be comic book characters.

Well Mike, The only thing laughable is fools like you that make dumb a-- comments like what you did. You don't like the message, so you take shots at the messenger. You're truly a joke. The only thing I'm anti is YOU!

Stan,

You have to have a message to take pot shots at. YOU don't have a coherent message, just a lot of senseless Babel and zingers.

Kinda of like what you did!

I'll finish this up now. You made a comment that folks scour these comments looking for a sound bite they agree with and jump on the band wagon. You, on the other hand, scour these comments and look for things you disagree with and jump on the the band wagon. I suggest that you click my name and read my comments as I did yours. You will see this clearly-----Liberal----Conservative. There the difference lies.

Yes, I am much more liberal than yourself. Maybe because I have seen much and experienced much. I am not a wealthy stock broker who's primary concern is the accumulation and hording of wealth. I am just a dumb mechanic, but at least I have a heart and a concern for my fellow man. I am not in favor of give aways or welfare. There is no such thing as an entitlement, everything in life must be earned in one way or another. By the same token unblemished greed is the worst of the human traits.

At the same time the plight of people such as those who have given their stories here and on other vines need the assistance that only a bill such as this can give. To get the insurance companies under control to prevent the kind of abuses that are very well published. I do not begrudge the companies a profit but at the same time the profits being accumulated are obscene. Especially when you consider that much of that profit is made by cheating people out of the very thing they had been paying for most of their lives.

By the same token bringing financial markets under regulation is desperately needed by this nation and the world. The unblemished greed of the financial institutions is what put this nation into the condition it is in now and what caused the great depression. FDR put in controls and we had the greatest growth of all time. The financial industry got the greedy politicans to repeal those controls and that eventually put us into the deepest recession since the great depression.

Wes, could you please clarify your post>?

What is your point?

Are you responsible or not CHIgirl. I worked hard with two jobs and took care of my four children. You must be some kind of a mother. That you do not think enough of your children. IT IS NOT MY FAULT. That you do not care for your children. They probably have somebody else caring for them.

Gee, Bibol - what a heartless, unchristian thing to say. What a leap of illogic to assume what CHgirl is or is not to her children. Keep personal attacks out of this - speak to the issue. Judge not, lest ye be judged.
Peace

Cece...you're "assuming" Bibol is Christian and being UnChristian......and you're "judging" them by calling them heartless....seems like the pot calling the kettle black. I'm not saying whether I agree with him or not but if you're going to jump someone for making assumptions and judging others you might not want to make assumptions and judge them yourself.

Hi Stang - I wasn't assuming Bibol was Christian, or heartless. I was asserting that her statement was un-Christian and heartless, which it was. However, I do appreciate your calling me out when I don't do as I say. Just read carefully. Keep me honest! (PS: I'm not a Christian, but I respect their views, and really like the hero of their story in the New Testament.) Thanks again... I'm glad you care enough to make me your special project, and look forward to a come-uppance when deserved!
Peace

This really isn't a change.

Only people in the individual market are up against this. With large employers and pools the insurers cut deals with the hospitals.

I know that I get bills (I have MS) and I see what the hospital originally charged, I see what Blue Shield paid, and I see what I was charged. Usually the hospital simply reduced the charges by more than half.

And yet the insurance companies are still making profits. So there's plenty of room for cuts in the system.

The credit card companies did the same thing. They drove up the costs and fees until the new legislation took affect. Insurance companies are just following suit. They see that they can circumvent the intent (i.e. loophole), and counter with higher fees for pre-existing conditions, at least until 2014. Once these higher fees are in place, they can say that, historically (over the previous four years), it is an accepted practice, and it will be grandfathered in.

THe attorneys general of some fourteen states have filed in court against this insurance bill, and this morning a very large corporation on the stock exchange (AT&T) just discovered this program will cost them at least $One Billion a year, because of the coverage they already provide their retirees! SO the money for a fight is on the way Mr.Obama!

I thought Healthcare was free.

I have worked for 30 years and raised 3 children and payed for insurance for them even when I could have used that insurance premium for other things. A lot of people choose not to have insurance and instead have a new car and cell phones and Direct TV.

Right now after 30 years I have lost my job and draw unemployment. My husband works and moved me to his insurance which cost 82.00 a week. I don't know if anybody else knows it but unemployment pay is not gonna make you rich. All we would need is for our premiums to go up 17 to 20% or my husband to lose his job and be in the poor house to pay for everyone elses insurance.

My thoughts about this is.. Mr. PRESIDENT. STOP HELPING ME.

Why do I tend to only believe what you wrote? Some of this stuff is way distorted and so out there. Good Job. :)

The loophole is addressed but the insurance companies will adjust premium costs upward to account for treatment of any pre-existing conditions added to their plan. It may be that everyone in that pool will pay higher premiums or the premiums of those who need frequent and costly treatment will be higher. Where costs are added, they must also be paid for. You can't run a deficit like the federal government does. The government keeps pushing their spiraling deficits out to the next generation. Medicare for example. And even the governments bills come due sooner or later.

The loophole is addressed but the insurance companies will adjust premium costs upward to account for treatment of any pre-existing conditions added to their plan.

Not if the insurance company wants to participate in the insurance exchange program that allows them to sell across State lines. That's a big market that they will be shut out of if they play games with premium rates.

That's 4 years away. In the meantime --- up, up and away. How does a company survive while losing money? That's what happens when you have to take pre-existing conditions.

Kind of like buying a burned down house, then purchase insurance and have them pay to rebuild it. Or taking life insurance out on the dead guy. Someone has to pay for the additional cost. Does treatment for pre-existing conditions cost less today than it did before the bill went through? Not one red cent. So, ante up.

Wes, why don't you get yourself a chocolate bar or a stiff dirink or a pipe of marijauna or whatever you need to CHILL OUT?

Wes - your patience until now has been stellar. Why quit now?

Would you righties look around and see who the real parasites are? The insurance companies. They are eating you alive and you can't even see it. Keep drinking that garbage from republicans and fox noise.

q

Wes, why do you have to use such violent speech? Can't you threaten people nicely?

get back to us when you find out that he won't be covered or it will be very expensive to cover him. the fraud in chief lied loud and clear and fooled every lemming out there. the lame stream, state-controlled media failed in their job to reveal the truth instead of fawning over the marxist in chief. I wish your son well.

Why buy car insurance until you have had a wreck?

I think you might be right. or at least a public option. That's the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. I do appreciate the insurance companies capitulating on this, since obviously hundreds of lawyers poring over thousands of pages of new law are going to find some questions.

But the bottom line is, they see which way the wind is blowing. If they don't work to make insurance affordable and accessable, the public option is the next logical step.

Insurance companies, be it health or homeowners have been greedy. Seriously look at your homeowners policy because they don't cover much now either. But you have to have coverage because of a mortgage. With that said, health care has needed this reform for a long time. Poor and elderly are covered and the middle class has taken the hit for a long time. Uninsured and those with pre-existing conditions have driven healthcare premiums up substantially. The time has come for USA to get on board with many other countries have already realized, mandatory healthcare.

With that said, the next law that needs to be put in place is nutritional information for all restaurants. Obesity in this country is out of control, especially with our youth. When you have preteens obese with high blood pressure, cholesterol issues etc...that is wrong. We have parents who cannot cook and rely upon fast food to feed families.

Ignorance of nutrition is costing everyone in the long term and it has to stop.

yes because their radical marxist agenda will be disolved. America is not ready for this far left European style socialism. we don't want to become venezuela or france.

I want to become sweden. Can we be sweden?

No sweden or any of them .all our families left those and other places to get away from this kind of stuff,

Why is it we have to change our country because of some guy that didnt even live here all his life .

Obama if you like the place you grew up at and spent so much time there go back ,and leave our country how we want it not how you want it .

Ummm...because he wasn't the only one who wanted health care fixed? Just guessing.

Charles just wait for Obama/Pelosi/Reid Inc to pull the next move and give citizenship to 49 million illegals, and they jump on the freeby wagon! They just gave our military to the "gays" over the wisdom of the commanders!

What a couple of useless posters. I'd hit the ignore button on you both, but that would keep me from seeing your inflammatory, valueless posts, and reporting them as such. How about some substance to your arguments, instead of the sad, tired old phrases regurgitated over & over. The healthcare bill passed, and BOOM. We're now a nazi socialist tyranny? NOT. Grow up. You can do better than these pathetic complaints, and, frankly, you must have some real argument to make that's not a mindless talking head point.

Uh oh.....there you go judging again.....tsk tsk. Useless? Grow up? Mindless? Practice what you preach!

Cece in CT

Keep personal attacks out of this - speak to the issue. Judge not, lest ye be judged.
Peace

Charles,

What, specifically, did the government "take over?" They reformed a boatload of abusive insurance company practices, but please be specific: what did they "take over?"

Do you really believe that tax dollars have not already paid for medical care for the uninsured, at a rate of 500% of true cost, through the tax deductions medical facilities claim for the "losses" incurred when they treat the uninsured? Do you truly not believe that it's smarter to HELP those people afford - and PAY FOR THEIR OWN - insurance, so payments for medical care will be above board, and at true cost, instead of through tax deductions for medical facilities?

Do you really, truly characterize people who work hard for employers who don't offer health insurance as lazy moochers?

I don't mean this as a personal attack, Charles, but I simply cannot comprehend how you can actually believe the rhetoric you use. And if you do, I'm sorry, but it does strike me a narrow-minded and somewhat ignorant.

Thank you Stang - point taken... you've got a good editing eye! I wish I could be as consistent as my intent.
Peace

Good post Jack. I doubt that the anti-health care/anti-Obama rhetoric is truely genuine from many posters. I wonder how many would opt to stop posting nonsense and garbage if they were offered beer and pizza? lol

A child is that person that can't buy cigarettes until 18, but can go die for America in the military, and vote! Still cannot buy liquor for another 3 years! If they were only 14 and killed someone could and would be tried as an adult? After the trial if aquited still could not buy cigarettes or a beer etc? Yes we have a great system run by knownothings in all quarters!

The federal government regulates and licenses dozens of various business and professions. That is why you can rely on meat being safe to eat, contractors being reliable to hire, and roads being safe to drive on.

Government regulation has been around since long before the U.S.

The Commerce Clause allows the federal government to regulate activities with a substantial impact on interstate commerce. It's used to prevent monopolies; require safe cars, safe foods and safe drugs; prevent the sale of toys that kill and maim children; require Social Security and Medicare contributions; and more. That much has been tested and put to rest by the Supreme Court.

The question you raised was debated on the floor of Congress, and is among the issues in the suit filed by 13 states attorneys general. We'll find out.

"Forget moral arguments.."

Really, jimmy. We're supposed to be so beholden to legal interpretation that we can;t all agree that a defenseless kid should not have to live a short, pain filled existence?

Really? Wow. I'm kind of speechless.

Lets see here

Profit for Blue cross last 1/4 5.3 billion dollars .

Hum think they may be able to handle it dont you .

jimmy, the same reason it was legal for government in another era to grant those same insurance companies immunity from the same antitrust regulations that govern every other business in this country. The same reason it's legal - and required - for our government to protect We the People from other abuses at the hands of our capitalists: in order to protect the viability of our capitalism. Unrestrained capitalism is not sustainable. The architects of capitalism said that.

Think what good those millions of dollars could have done...

What are you talking about? And what is that mess of a post?

I don't think he speaks english. Just somebody with poor translation skills.

YAH Dos weiner spittin hangin porkin! LOL

Must be one of the ilegal aliens ob wants to give citizenship to.....

Such high expectations?

And its costing how much? Biggest scam in our history.

So, you had the entire Democratic congress watched 24 hours a day from the beginning of the process and can confirm that NOBODY read the legislation? Really, now, if you keep using inflated language to make your point, no one will be able to believe anything in your post. By using language this way, you discredit your point and thought process. You seem quite talented at regurgitating propaganda. Have a nice day.

Remember this is the same outfit that has a railroad(Amtrak) that they can't run, it's broke, a post office thats broke and wants to cut back service, a multi-trillion national debt and still printing counterfeit money by the ton and wanting more, a wr on two or three fronts with no end in sight ! They sing fascisms sweet song to you,"I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU"! What are you willing to give up so we may help you,maybe all your freedoms?

Cece in CT For your information, the bill the senate were discussing and voting on wasn't completed so it wasn't in writing and available to be read until the 24 hours before the house voted on it.