MAINE COMPASS: Health-care reform must happen now
Ann Schoenthaler-Ervin
We all know that good health coverage doesn’t come easy. And it certainly isn’t cheap. But if you don’t have your health, what do you really have?
Good health is the most basic of our needs, yet one in four Americans — over 70 million — remain without coverage or are underinsured. Every civilized country in the world provides health insurance, but millions of Americans risk losing everything if a serious illness or accident strikes.
We have a moral obligation to make sure that never happens.
In both my personal and professional lives, I know how personal health care is. During the early years of my marriage, my husband and I worked hard to make sure we never went without insurance.
Yet even with insurance, we were denied coverage for the births of our first two children and were left owing thousands. We have struggled more than 30 years to maintain health insurance. Even though my husband works two jobs, we have, until three months ago, been able to afford only policies with high deductibles — in effect, catastrophic plans.
And, we have fought hard to maintain health insurance for our children after college. My son was one of the last to be allowed to opt for Dirigo Health Insurance, but his girlfriend wasn’t as lucky.
Now, as my husband oversees a small family business with about 15 employees, every day is a struggle to keep his employees insured. Anthem recently asked for a 22 percent increase in his rates, and my husband wonders how he’ll be able to keep up with these rising costs.
In my own practice, I see many clients who have high deductibles. And, rather than obtain the professional help that they need, they often delay treatment until their jobs and marriages are at risk.
When is enough, enough?
The president’s health-care reform plan is an important first step in fixing our broken system.
I can think of many things reform will do. Here are just a few:
• If you have coverage now, you can keep it. If you are paying more than 8 percent of your salary on your premium, you will be able to get discounts to help you buy your own policy from an insurance exchange.
• Insurance companies will have to compete for your business in insurance exchanges where there will be oversight. If companies don’t play by the rules, they will be excluded from the exchange.
• Children will be able to stay on parents’ policies until the age of 26.
• Deciphering what an insurance policy will cover can be impossible. The reform bill requires that all companies use the same format for presenting their coverage options. Now we will be able to compare them side by side in one place on the Internet.
• Seniors will get more benefits and a more stable Medicare program through 2026.
• Members of Congress will need to choose from the same health-care coverage that we get.
• Preventative care and screenings will be covered 100 percent.
• Insurance companies will have to spend 80 percent — 85 percent of your premium on your care. If they don’t, they will have to rebate the difference. One recent study found some spend as little as 66 percent. Further, CEOs of top health insurance companies average $9.7 million each in compensation each year. This will change.
• And finally, this reform package is fully financed. Funding mechanisms built into the bill will pay not only for these changes, but they also are expected to help reduce the deficit by about $120 billion over the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
We have fought too hard for health-care reform for decades. We can’t walk away now from all that has been accomplished. If not now, when?
Ann Schoenthaler-Ervin of Waterville is a psychologist, a mother and the spouse of a physician and small business owner.
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14 COMMENTS
sandrajeff said...
If you cannot find a job just change your career, get a medical billing degree from your local school http://ow.ly/1ggKF
March 19, 2010 at 3:13 AM Report abuse
kxrider said...
OH MY GOD What kind of Kool-Aid are you drinking????? I guess you haven't heard the Rasmussen poll of physicians. 47% of physicians polled stated the would close their practice if health care reform passes with a public option. This bill will turn our medical system into the same types as Canada and England. Long lines, long waits and someone judging if you really need this procedure or not. How else do you think its going to bring costs down?? Its simple you wont be able to see the doctor or get the proceedure you need!!! WHY DO YOU THINK A CANADIAN PREMIER WENT TO FLORIDA FOR HIS PROCEEDURE??? HE WANTED TO LIVE!!!!
March 19, 2010 at 8:59 AM Report abuse
DTOM said...
Obama, October 30, 2008 "We are 5 days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America." Obama during his interview with Bret Baier a few days ago... "Now, you keep on repeating the notion that it's one-sixth of the economy... Yes, it's one-sixth of the economy, but we're not transforming one-sixth of the economy all in one fell swoop...". Just as Obama promised, it will be a 'gradual transformation'. (via the Health care / education bill) The health care/education bill "IS" the 'transformation' for the Progressive movement. That's why SEIU and other progressive groups want it SO bad. $$ payback $$ The health care/education bill IS NOT about 'health care' OR 'education'. It IS about CONTROL.
March 19, 2010 at 11:22 AM Report abuse
DTOM said...
From the Center for American Progress (John Podesta's organization) - "When the 2010 budget came out, instructions were given for 'reconciliation' for BOTH health care AND student loans." GOT IT !?!?!? All of this was planned, YEARS ago. This is NOT about health care.
March 19, 2010 at 11:23 AM Report abuse
ProConserv said...
What I love about this is that when the IRS comes a knockin on all of you liberaldemocRAT progressives door and fining you for not having "government approved" health insurance, you will be the first ti start whining that your rights are being trampled on! Meanwhile you totally $crew the rest of us with your effin socialism!
March 19, 2010 at 12:03 PM Report abuse
DTOM said...
CBO: MEDICARE FIX MAKES IT RED WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressional budget scorekeepers say a Medicare fix that Democrats included in earlier versions of their health care bill would push it into the red. The Congressional Budget Office said Friday that rolling back a programmed cut in Medicare fees to doctors would cost $208 billion over 10 years. If added back to the health care overhaul bill, it would wipe out all the deficit reduction, leaving the legislation $59 billion in the red. The so-called doc fix was part of the original House bill. Because of its high cost, Democrats decided to pursue it separately. Republicans say the cost should not be ignored. Congress has usually waived the cuts to doctors year by year. Friday March 19, 2010 - AP story http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Medicare-fix-would-push-apf-2700343586.html?x=0&.v=2
March 19, 2010 at 9:42 PM Report abuse
Tech said...
The person that wrote this story really needs to get out more and stop living in their dream world. Do they give 85% of their income away and only live off of 15%? They run a small business so they can make more money for themselves, so lets cap their income and make them keep all of their employees, they do need a job. We should also tell them how much they will pay to each employee. When they run out of money because the government stop sending them referrals they can just go to a bank and get a loan. How's that Kool-Aid? Wake up before this becomes reality. You have just lost your freedom if health care reform passes under the current Bill. This is not reform, its a take over by fools.
March 20, 2010 at 8:37 AM Report abuse
C-Fairer said...
Central & Western Maine School-Linked Mental Health Services Ann Schoenthaler-Ervin Project Administrator _________________________ She already works for the Maine department of education, so her job security depends on this passing. Follow the money...
March 20, 2010 at 10:05 AM Report abuse
Pop2 said...
Ann Schoenthaler-Ervin Are you out of your tree, this is going to hert most of us. Stop taking those Psyc pills.I pay 96.00 a month for Medicare, and 400.for Fedral Blue Cross the sam Insurance they Gov has .I worked for the gov but they do not pay all Of my Insurance like the folks in DC. I say vote them all out.
March 21, 2010 at 3:05 AM Report abuse
DTOM said...
"We are but warriors for the working-day;... But, by the mass, our hearts are in the trim. ...We would not seek a battle, as we are; Nor, as we are, we say we will not shun it."
March 21, 2010 at 7:51 AM Report abuse
Ripple said...
"Delay is preferable to error"...Thomas Jefferson
March 23, 2010 at 7:29 AM Report abuse
Saywhat said...
If you don't have health insurance then you will be fined. I thought this was athe land of choices and freedoms. Not anymore!!!!
March 23, 2010 at 2:12 PM Report abuse
Routone said...
The best way to "fix" Congress is to get rid of every Republican. That "party" is shameless, deceiving the American people and placing politics above all. Memo to Wingnuts: You lost the election and the MAJORITY voting for things you just don't like is just too bad, isn't it? Strange how you wingnuts think only you are entitled to see your policies enacted, but you clearly feel entitled to dictate policies for all of America. As for your absurd statements about "communism," it's just a measure of how desperate and radical the RepubliCON party is that they'd stop that low. There is no low that is too low for Republicans. Republican: We're NUTS!
March 25, 2010 at 5:57 PM Report abuse
SkipErnst1 said...
If all your friends were to jump off a bridge would you do it too? This is, of course, a dumb argument, but we hear it all the time in the form of, "Every civilized country in the world provides health insurance, but [the USA doesn't]" There is a reason we didn't have it. Healthcare and health insurance are not rights provided by our constitution.
March 29, 2010 at 8:09 AM Report abuse