Question by Taylor: Are there many unanswered questions about a Health Care bill that’s about to become ” Law “?
Will the current Bill do any of the following:

1. Allow me to build my own policy and not have to pay for things I don’t need or will never use?

( My sons and I will never need a pap smear, nor give birth, don’t want a hair transplant and will never use the alcohol/drug rehab plan) Yet I am forced to pay for that coverage because of law makers. This vastly increases costs)

2. Do anythin at all to lower the cost of Malpractic Insurance (One of my Dr pays 70,000 / year for liability coverage which is covered by his fees) ( Trial lawyers have nothing to lose. Most cases get settled no matter how ridiculous because the lawyers never have to pay court or legal fees. Easy Fix = Loser Pays all court and legal fees of both parties) That 70,000 will be drastically reduced, and the cost savings passed on.)

3. Lower my monthly premium ?
How can it when Ins companies are now required to cover more people, even with pre-existing conditions. Premiums can only go up. And they are forced to cover basic stuff like minor doctors visits when people should be able to pay for that out of pocket.

Other questions about this “reform”

4. If they are required to cover pre-existing conditions, what prevents people from canceling coverage all together and using the money saved for basic medical care? Then get the insurance only when/if you need major medical care?

5. What will happen when Ins companies go out of business? ( See above question) Will the Gov option be the only option?

6. When the gov has control of how much a doctor or a hospital can make per procedure, what will that do to the number of people willing to enter the Medical field as a profession.

6-B God Forbid, but what if Doctors are forced to join a Gov Union like the SEIU ?

7. (Combined with above) When adding 30 million more people to the system thereby vastly increasing demand, how will the supply side look?

8. When supply gets overwhelmed with demand,how can rationing be avoided?

9. What will happen to our coverage when the government decides it needs to “reign in costs”.

10. What “life-style laws” will be passed in the name of “protecting us” from ourselves?

11. Why can’t people “shop for the best price” like they would anything else.

12. Why will we begin paying for this “reform” next year, but the “benefits” won’t be available until 2013?

Best answer:

Answer by towwwdothello
http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/warcrimetrials/comment_post.php

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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by Eric Fischer

Detoxification and rehabilitation are the two treatment categories of substance abuse. Detoxification is short term medical treatment to manage withdrawal symptoms and rehabilitation is longer term counseling and classes to help the individual to remain sober. There are five basic questions to ask in determining substance abuse benefits through your health insurance.

-Do I have substance abuse health insurance benefits? Under current law companies providing group health insurance are only required to cover treatment for alcoholism not for drug abuse. However, most large group plans have substance abuse treatment benefits. A basic policy will cover outpatient treatment but will not cover residential rehabilitation care. Some plans offer “riders”, or supplemental options- for an additional premium amount- to augment a basic policy. Check with your health insurance company.

-What is my deductible and has it been met? Most health insurance plans have a yearly deductible that must be met before benefits are paid out. These can range anywhere from $ 100 to $ 5000. Under the new healthcare reform, there can no longer be separate deductibles for substance abuse and medical/surgical services.  Check your plans schedule of benefits to determine the amount of your deductible and contact your insurance company to see how much of your deductible has been met.

-What is the coverage amount per visit? Each health insurance plan will have different coinsurance or co-pay amounts for outpatient rehabilitation. You will either pay coinsurance- usually 80/20 – or you will have a co-pay per visit. Many plans limited the number of outpatient rehab visits to 20 per year but healthcare reform eliminated those benefit limits. The elimination of these benefit limits allows greater access to needed treatment.

-Is approval required from my primary care physician? Many health insurance companies require you to see your primary care physician to get a referral for substance abuse rehab unless it is court ordered. Authorization is usually required before rehab can begin. Many healthcare plans required members to complete a rehab program before payment would be made on the charges. If you did not complete the program then you did not receive the benefits and were personally responsible for the charges. Healthcare reform does not allow this anymore. Charges are paid by the health insurance companies during treatment.

-What is the reimbursement policy for out-of-network providers? A majority of health insurance companies require you to see in-network providers and do not provide any benefits if you go out-of-network. This is the same for any type of medical treatment, as well. Health insurance companies try to keep costs down by having its members utilize their network.

Healthcare reform has changed many aspects of substance abuse rehabilitation by bringing it into the realm of medical care. Insurers who cover substance abuse treatment must do so at the same level of benefit they provide for other medical conditions. This should increase the number of people seeking the help they need.