The Healthcare bill of rights is here...

Preface: Once again, I have to apologize for not being able to blog here, and this time it involves travel to the Seattle area, but I hope to get on my feet soon.

Introduction: I have signed up to receive updates from the local Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. Today, she forwarded me this set of rights, billed as, so to speak, "The Healthcare bill of rights". I thought it is fairly important for anyone involved in healthcare to go through them, so I am going to share them with you.

Oh, and these are the rights that the Republicans and the Tea Party would like to repeal, just so you know.

* Your health coverage cannot be arbitrarily cancelled.
The new law prohibits insurance plans from rescinding your coverage when you get sick, except in cases of fraud or an intentional misrepresentation of facts. (Applies to all insurance plans.)

* Your child cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition.
Insurance plans are prohibited from both denying coverage and limiting benefits for children based on a pre-existing condition. This applies to all employer plans and new individual plans.

* Your health plan cannot put a lifetime limit on your health coverage.
The new law outlaws lifetime limits. No longer will a family go broke or lose their home just because a loved one has an accident or becomes ill. This applies to all insurance plans.

* Your health plan’s annual limits will phase out.
Over the next three years, the new law phases out annual limits ensuring that the coverage of hundreds of thousands of Americans will no longer be cut off right when they need it most. This applies to all employer plans and new individual plans.

* Your child can stay on your health plan up to age 26.
Insurance plans that offer family coverage will be required to allow young people up to their 26th birthday to remain on their parents’ insurance plan, at the parent’s choice. This applies to young people who do not have access to their own employer-sponsored coverage.

* You have the right to choose your own doctor.
Patients are guaranteed their choice of primary care doctor within their plan’s network of doctors, including OB-GYNs and pediatricians without a referral. This applies to new plans.

* You have the right to access out-of-network emergency room care.
Insurance plans will not be able to charge higher cost-sharing for emergency services that are obtained outside of a plan’s network. This applies to new plans.

* You have the right to appeal denied coverage.
Insurance companies are prohibited from denying coverage for needed care without a chance to appeal to an independent third party. This applies to new plans.


Commentary: Essentially, I think this is a good set of rights and a good start. It will help coverage, and increase revenues for medical device companies, regardless of what Advamed would like to have you believe. In the long run, this will serve as a model of comparison for developing nations trying to implement healthcare reform.

Of course, post elections we will see some cheesy attempts to repeal the law, more display of testosterone and so on...until next time!

Restart reform? Restart what? Come again...?

In the aftermath of the Floridization of Massachusetts and the election of a rather unimportant and inexperienced, fake trucker to one of the senate seats among a 100, one thing has come to light for sure - in the 21st century, people and politicians alike, still lack a sense of size and proportion.

Low quality newspapers, news studios and pundits controlled by shady folks such as Rupert Murdoch have claimed the death of healthcare and of the Democrat administration in general. Except, if you actually look at it logically, it makes no apparent sense for all the obvious reasons - the Democrats hold majorities in both houses, the President is a Democrat and so on...

And today, USA Today polled the usual suspects, that is one thousand randomly selected people and about 55% percent of them claim that "Democrats must restart the reform process and make it inclusive for the Republicans".

Might as well ask for a horse with the thing on it's head...

Okay, let's look at it:

Today the voice of the Republican party borders on manic. There is a certain laissez-faire with which an issue that could potentially leave 30 - 40 million Americans without any respite for their health problems is treated by the "Republican" leadership.

While Grassley is involved in solo essay writing contests to companies (at least he is doing something), several Republican senators are simply jubilant, awaiting their chance to simply block any legislation put forth in the name of healthcare reform.

Acting Responsibly

If it is indeed true that the lofty minded folks of Massachusetts voted to mirror the "nation's anger" on the one-sidedness of healthcare reform, will these lofty people communicate with the Republican leadership and make sure that they don't simply stall any new "restarted reform" legislation that get's thrown their way?

Highly unlikely, right?

Then what is the point of misdirecting your anger at someone who is trying something rather than someone who is trying, er, nothing? At least nothing productive?

Think and vote.

Not, vote and ignore.

The role of the Democrats

In all this, the Democrats had a major role to play. When the tea parties and other drivel showed up last year, they did not mobilize themselves properly.

And, enough with the infighting already! They should have punished Joe Lieberman for going AWOL. They should have made Bob Nelson toe the party line. They should actually be doing this right now - he caused some major delays and played a large role in this PR debacle.

Finally, the Democrats really need to understand what they are reforming and market it properly to the voting public.

Oh, and someone should tell them, they have majorities in both houses and the President!

Will all this happen?

With so much time having been wasted on disconnecting themselves from the public and passing the reform, the Democrats have also fallen way behind in job creation, immigration reform and other key issues. It is close to impossible that they will get any important legislation passed this year, or through the first portion of Obama's Presidentship.

So, from the next post, we will be back to digging our heals into medical devices, whistle-blower lawsuits, medicine recalls and such...

History has happened...

December 24 arrived, and there was no Grinch.

The Healthcare reform, beat up and watered down as some would like to refer to it, passed anyway.

So what if it doesn't have everything that everyone wanted?

A 100 years and a handful of Presidents couldn't do it.

So, what if some healthcare reform passed in the U.S. Big deal, right?

Err... no.

If you have been paying any attention to details at all, you would notice that the world's richest nations have a way of influencing how healthcare is administered around the world.

Plus, there are other things to worry about. When I went back to India in 2006, one of the most shocking things I found was the fact that a lot of the insurance companies from the U.S. had sucked the life out of gullible patients and moved on to India and were now causing havoc there.

A few insurance companies with their hawkish wings clipped - not so bad.

That is why, we need to herald: History just happened.

Here is to your holidays, health and a happy future filled with hope and change!