Now that the health care reform bill has been signed into law, and Americans are justifiably worried that health insurance premiums will increase, there is a 1-1/2 cent answer to rising premiums. We’ve all been told that the new health care reform law was supposed to lower insurance premiums by 14% to 20% — thereby making health insurance more affordable for everyone. But if you check the fine print, reduced insurance premiums apply only to those who decide they want to keep the low-value, “skimpier” kinds of policies.
The general consensus is that the new law virtually guarantees that health insurance premiums will rise even more – instead of becoming more affordable. The Congressional Budget Office itself stated that insurance premiums for people buying their own coverage would go up by an average of 10 to 13 percent. Based on the forecasts of other analysts, premiums will rise even higher – to the tune of 30 to 45 percent. Imagine what YOU would be paying if your insurance premiums increased by 30 to 45 percent.
Americans are sharply divided on the new health care law, but one thing is for certain: Many provisions in the health care law carry with them serious consequences. And we won’t know their full effect until the provisions start in the year 2014. For instance, the law cuts Medicare by $500 billion, and 10 million seniors who get their coverage through Medicare Advantage’s private plans (about 22 percent of Medicare enrollees) will be stripped of their coverage… or will have their Medicare benefits reduced.
But that may not matter much because the Obama administration itself has forecasted that Medicare — the trust fund that pays hospital bills for elderly Americans — is expected to run out of money in 2017. Many believe that Medicare is already broke now — and that unbeknownst to the American public, the government has begun using the general federal tax funds to pay for senior citizens’ Medicare benefits. What’s even more alarming is that according to many sources, the Social Security trust fund, which has been forecasted to completely run out of money in 2037, is already running a deficit now. And there’s no telling how long the government will be able to continue providing Social Security benefits and services.
One glaring aspect that’s missing in the new health care law is that nothing has been done to fix the double-digit upward spiral in health care costs… and that in itself is a recipe for disaster. What would we do if there comes a time when we can no longer rely on Medicare and Social thc cbd us? And what if you’re a senior citizen who’s already SICK… and you have no income to pay for health care? What would happen if doctors and hospitals turned you away at the door because they have no assurance they’ll get paid for services that they’ll provide you?
It’s a terrifying thought… but one that every American over the age of 40 must consider and find a solution for. In the coming years, average citizens can never be sure that their future health care needs will be met. Neither will they have any control as to whether or not they will receive health care benefits from the government… or how much insurance they will have to pay. The only thing over which they can exercise control is their health.