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It’s hard to believe it’s been a full year since Washington – and much of the nation – was immersed in a heated and often nasty debate about healthcare reform. Republicans blasted the president’s plan as ‘Obamacare,’ while Democrats argued it was a program that would save lives and lower costs.
One year later, the healthcare debate is still ripe, with Republicans threatening to roll back reforms and Democrats fighting to keep them in place. But beyond the Beltway politics, how is the law actually affecting people -- namely women and children?
We asked Stephanie Cutter, an Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, whose email responses are below. Cutter managed all communications surrounding the implementation of the healthcare law, and is a former counselor to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geittner. Before working in the Obama Administration, she headed up communications for Senator John Kerry during the 2004 presidential campaign and was communications director for the late Senator Edward Kennedy, a man who spent his political career pushing for health care for all Americans.
iVillage: What are some of the benefits available to women and children under the law that they may not be aware of?
Before reform, insurance companies could charge women more just for being a woman and often considered pregnancy a pre-existing condition. When the law is fully implemented, that will be a thing of the past. Additionally, there are many new consumer protections and benefits available to women and their families today.
Already, young adults can stay on their parents’ insurance plan until they turn 26, insurance companies can’t deny coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition, and if you have been uninsured because of a pre-existing condition -- like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease -- you may be eligible to join the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. Information on this plan is available at www.PCIP.gov. And in 2014, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition will be illegal.
Women will also benefit from new rules that make it easier to see the doctor you choose and get the care you need. If you have signed up for a new plan since September 23, 2010, insurance companies cannot charge you a deductible or copays for recommended preventive services, like mammograms and flu shots.
Finally, the law prohibits insurance companies from capping the dollar amount of care you can receive in a lifetime, or dropping your coverage due to a mistake on your application when you get sick. This is particularly important for individuals who may be diagnosed with a major disease or illness like breast cancer.
Many women are also caregivers for elderly relatives, so it’s important to note that starting this year, seniors who are in the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known as the doughnut hole will receive a 50% discount on covered brand-name prescription drugs. By 2020, the doughnut hole will be closed. The law also makes preventive care free for everyone on Medicare. These benefits went into effect this year and will continue into the future.
See more responses on the next page.
