Tuesday, March 30, 2010
By: Christina Paciolla
cpaciolla@sjnewsco.com

Now that the health care overhaul bill has been signed by President Barack Obama, people will start seeing changes implemented over the next several weeks.

In a Times' editorial board meeting Monday with U.S. Rep. Robert Andrews, D-1st Dist., of Haddon Heights, the congressman said the goal of the overhaul - a package he helped craft - is to give consumers more choices with their health care plans to get a better deal.

In the next month, Andrews said those with a current health care plan will receive a notification that says those up to age 26 can be covered under their parent's plan - even if the son or daughter has been uninsured for a period of time.

Also, children with a pre-existing condition - such as asthma - cannot be denied coverage for a health care plan, Andrews said. In 2014, health insurance companies will not be allowed to deny adults with a pre-existing condition who apply for coverage. Before that, however, adults will be able to get insurance as part of a "national high-risk pool." Insurance brokers can enroll adults in it at the same price he or she would have paid if they had no pre-existing condition, Andrews said.

Senior citizens will also benefit this year in the form of rebate checks. Those under Medicare will receive a $250 rebate check to help offset prescription drug costs.

Insurance policies also won't be able to drop you from a health care plan - a practice known as recission. Under the new bill, those who get sick will be able to keep their coverage.

Andrews said that the bill will reduce the country's deficit by about $130 billion in the first decade of its enactment and about $1.2 trillion in the decade after that.

"I think the benefits are going to be a lot better than expected," Andrews said.

With so many calls already coming into the congressman's office about the health care overhaul bill, Andrews said he wants to meet with those who run WebMD - a popular Web site utilized by about half of America's adults. Officials through the Web site would answer specific questions about the bill consumers may have, Andrews said.

Over the next several years, changes to health care to small businesses will take effect. Eighty percent of businesses in the country with more than 50 employees already provide health care to its employees. The remaining 20 percent will have eight years, said Andrew, to comply with standards set by the new health care overhaul plan.