|
November 11, 2009 - On Saturday, November 7, 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, on a vote of 220-215. The bill, generally referred to as health care reform legislation, contains some provisions that are important to thalassemia patients.
| | What Happens Next? | | | Now that the House has passed its version of the bill, attention will be focused on the Senate, where leaders will work to reconcile the separate health care bills created by two Senate committees. One of these bills contains similar provisions to the House bill, such as the elimination of pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps. What the final Senate bill will look like and when (or even if) it will be brought before the entire Senate remains to be determined. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid recently announced that he hopes to begin debate on health care legislation in the Senate next week (the week of November 16). Assuming the Senate does pass a health care bill, the two houses will then need to work together to create identical versions of the bill, which can then be sent to the President, who will at that time decide if he will sign the final version of the bill into law. |
In simplified form, here are some of the highlights of the legislation: · Insurance companies would not be able to deny coverage based on a pre-existing condition. Currently, many plans impose a “waiting period” – often 12 months, but in some cases much longer – before they will cover the costs associated with treating a condition if the patient already had that condition before enrolling in the insurance plan. Clearly, for a person with thalassemia, the issue of pre-existing condition coverage can be very important. · Insurance companies could not refuse to renew coverage for current enrollees. · Lifetime caps on the amount insurers will pay would be eliminated immediately. For those with a chronic condition, such as thalassemia, this provision could have a significant impact. · Similarly, annual limits on coverage would be eliminated, although that elimination will take place gradually over a period of several years. Again, because of the considerable annual costs associated with thalassemia, this provision could have a positive impact upon the thalassemia community. · Generally, all individuals would be required to have health coverage. This is an attempt to address the fact that some 36 million Americans are currently uninsured. Both the House and Senate bills (see "What Happens Next" box) mark a significant step toward ensuring the coverage and treatment of those who have thalassemia and their families. Guaranteed availability of insurance and the elimination of lifetime and annual caps will certainly enhance the quality of life for thalassemia patients.
CAF will continue to report on the progress of health care reform legislation on its website.
|
