Today was a history making day regardless of your views concerning the Affordable Care Act otherwise referred to as Obamacare. I thought you might like to know some of what is in this landmark piece of legislation and learn how it can help you whether you agree or not; whether you are happy, mad or sad. Something to remember and help keep all this newness in perspective is this. Medicare got the same reaction when it was first implemented in 1965 and there isn’t one person I have ever met that would give up their Medicare benefit.

• You cannot be deprived of health insurance due to a pre-existing condition.
• You may choose your own doctor and stay on the plan you currently enjoy through a process called “Grandfathering.”
• You no longer can be cancelled by your insurer because you made an honest mistake on your application.
• Seniors are to be given a 50% discount for name-branded drugs that fall into the Medicare “donut hole.”
• Expanded coverage for young adults begins with the ACA. If you have a college graduate who doesn’t have health insurance do to completing his/her education, they can now stay on the parent’s group coverage to age 26. Today, 3,000,000 young people have parents sleeping much easier at night.

• Limits have been put in place for cost of insurance based on age.
• Women can’t be charged more in premium because an insurance company deems them “more complicated.”
• The risk of going having a catastrophic health condition bankrupting your family has been eliminated.
• The cost of Emergency Room Care for the uninsured no longer will be passed on to taxpayers.
• Up to 4 million small businesses can receive tax credits for providing insurance to their workers. However, small businesses are not obligated to carry insurance on their employees.
• Exchanges allow for a choice of insurance plans with a range of prices.
• States get a $2 billion saving toward Medicare.

As things move forward, there will be more and more information that I put forward. I know it seems scary, but I’ve been doing a lot of studying on the bill and will continue to do more as the days go on. The more we know the less fearful new programs become.

If you feel that this is a contract with government that you don’t think you want, think about Medicare. That, too, is a contract with our government that few if any would ever give up and one that AARP continues to work hard to maintain and save. I can say for myself, it is a boon to both me and my children who don’t have to worry about their mother. Is it perfect? No. But all things considered, it works far better than the private plans I have had in the past.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, just copy in its entirety with the blurb below.

LouAnn Savage is publisher and editor of The Weekly Healthline, an online health and lifestyle publication. Subscribe free at: http://www.HealthFitforLife.com. Follow her on twitter @louannsavage and join her at http://Facebook.com/louannsavage. She is an Asea distributor.

Filed under: LouAnn Savage