Healthcare or Insurance Care

This may come as a shock to the “repeal Obamacare” movement, but the Affordable Health Care Act is not healthcare legislation. What’s more, neither are Medicare nor Medicaid healthcare acts. All of this legislation, whether passed or proposed, is insurance care. Under Medicare, an individual can go to any practitioner, use any facility, or undergo any procedure. There is nothing to prevent this. However, what is affected is just what is “approved” in order to pay the practitioner, facility, or for the procedure. These are all insurance programs and any rules, restrictions, or other requirements are strictly limited to whether or not costs will be paid, what percent of the costs will be paid, or whether the total cost must be assumed by the participant. There are no “death panels” or bureaucrats telling anyone what or what not may be acceptable medical treatment. Like every other insurance plan, there are insurable and uninsurable events. If a patient wants to go to Mexico and undergo a treatment of ground avocado pits that patient may do so, but there is no guarantee nor should there be a guarantee that Medicare funds will be used to pay for that treatment. Again, like any other insurance plan, members are given a list of approved practitioners, approved facilities, and approved procedures that are included in the coverage. Anything outside of these lists may or may not be reimbursable. Part of the Affordable Health Care Act, when it is fully implemented in 2014, will attempt to define so-called best practices and will also attempt to reward more favorable outcomes but nothing will prevent an individual from seeking any form of treatment from any one. As said before, like any insurance, the legislation will only determine what may be covered and what costs an individual may have to assume if a choice to go outside of coverage is preferred. Just like car insurance may not cover intentionally inflicted damages...intentionally drive your car off of a cliff and you may not get reimbursed for the damages... no healthcare insurance will pay for any eventuality not should it. Here is a suggestion for those objecting to death panels, bureaucrats controlling healthcare procedures, or any of the other opposition created myths and misinformation, discover the facts. Ask why the objection. More often than not, the biggest objections come from those profiting most from the status quo and may not reap the rewards in the event of change.