What the New Health Care Law Means for Women and Young Adults
The historic health care reform recently signed into law helps to free the American people from the dominance of the health insurance industry, which has dictated how and whether they get health care coverage for far too long. This new law means more choice, more affordability and more protections and I was pleased to vote for it. In particular, the health care reform law will provide critical protections and coverage for women and young adults.
Helps to End Gender Discrimination
Right now, too many women pay more for coverage just because of their gender. For instance, a healthy 22-year-old woman can be charged premiums 50 percent higher than a 22-year-old man simply because she is a woman. In addition, in many states, being a victim of domestic violence can be considered a pre-existing condition, and used to either restrict or deny coverage to women and their children. The health care reform law will end this gender discrimination and prevent any insurance company from denying coverage based on medical history.
Promotes Preventive Care
Twenty percent of American women over the age of 50 went without mammograms over the last two years. Younger women are often denied maternity coverage and benefits in the individual insurance market, even though a small investment in prenatal care can make a huge difference. The new health care reform law covers preventive care, including maternity benefits, which will create a system that encourages prevention and promotes better overall health.
Extends Coverage to More Young Adults
Starting this year, young Americans will be allowed to remain on their parents’ health insurance coverage until they turn 26. And since young adults often change jobs, move, or hold part-time jobs, the creation of health insurance exchanges in 2014 will help ensure they always have access to high-quality, affordable health insurance choices, no matter their employment status. The exchanges will make it easier to decide which plan is right for them by providing easy-to-understand information so they can easily compare prices, benefits and performance of health plans.
Reforms the Federal Student Loan System
Along with the health care reform law, significant reform of the federal student loan system was also signed into law. The new law now requires all federal student loans to be issued through the existing Direct Loan program later this year. This reform eliminates handouts to banks and lenders, streamlining federal student loans and saving taxpayers nearly $61 billion in the process. These savings will go toward a number of priorities, including paying down the deficit and boosting the Pell Grant program, which gives critical grant assistance to young Americans to pursue higher education.
Charging higher rates to females is not discrimination; It’s based on actuarial tables. Women use more healthcare. (Young males are “discriminated” against when it comes to auto insurance. They are charged higher rates because they get into more accidents and receive more tickets. What about that?)
Here’s how this will play out. Young/healthy people (especially males) will see their premiums skyrocket. This is primarily due to community rating, gender rating, and bloated minimum coverage requirements to “spread risk”. The fine to opt out is very small and pre-existing conditions must be covered. So, many healthy young people will drop coverage and purchase it if and when they need it saving tons of $$$! Result? Adverse selection causing everyone else’s premiums to spike.
After all, who wants to be a low cost cash cow for the insurance companies paying in artificially inflated premiums to subsidize the welfare population (who will get subsidized or free coverage), octomoms, illegals (who won’t be forced into the pool but who will continue to use the ER as a primary care facility), the elderly, and the obese/lazy McDonald’s crowd? Not I! This may sound harsh, but it’s the reality.