Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Universal health care might now very well be on its way to becoming a reality. The House voted 219"212 on March 22 for a sweeping overhaul of the nation's healthcare system to be signed into law, bringing hoped-for change to health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. Following the vote, a March 23 press release from President Obama's office said both the president and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden think that Americans having to choose between government run healthcare and insurance companies is unfair. But the Obama-Biden plan now strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.

The plan builds on the healthcare system that is already in place and uses already existing providers, doctors, and insurance plans to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to all  Americans, stated the release. When the Obama-Biden plan is implemented, patients will make their healthcare decisions along with their doctors, without any insurance company red-tape affecting these decisions.

The release says, for example, nothing will change if you're happy with the services of your present health insurance except that your insurance cost will go down by as much as $2,500 a year. And if you don't have health insurance at present, you get to choose from a variety of affordable health insurance options.

Making insurance work for citizens and businesses -- and not just insurance and drug companies -- is what the Obama-Biden plan is all about, according to the release. This new plan will:

-- Provide Americans with comprehensive benefits at affordable premiums irrespective of their pre-existing conditions;

-- Enable small businesses to provide affordable health insurance to their employees;

-- Prevent insurers from overcharging doctors;

-- Put in place a National Health Insurance Exchange with a range of private as well as public plans that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health coverage;

-- Make it mandatory for large employers that do not offer health coverage to their employees to contribute a percentage of payroll towards the employees' healthcare; and

-- Ensure a tax credit on health insurance premiums for everyone who needs it.

Obama will finance this $50"$65 billion healthcare reform effort by rolling back the Bush tax cuts for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year and retaining the estate tax at its 2009 level, the release further states.

(Editor's note: To read the complete text of press release, go to: www.change.gov/agenda/health_care_agenda/.)