IMPORTANT DEADLINES
Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare will run now through Jan. 31. If you want a plan that takes effect Jan. 1, you’ll need to sign up by Dec. 15. The deadline for coverage that starts Feb. 1 is Jan. 15. If you sign up between Jan. 15 and Jan. 31, your coverage will begin March 1.
FACTS
*Despite Trump being elected, the Affordable Care Act is still in effect until further notice. That means 2017 open enrollment is still the only time to shop for coverage and get cost assistance for 2017.
*“The 2017 contract is binding but after 2017 things could change”, stated Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on recent press call to help generate awareness for Open-Enrollment Deadlines.
*Over 20 million people have gained health insurance coverage and more than 6 million uninsured young adults have gained health insurance coverage since 2010.
*If you qualify for Medicaid, you can sign up at any time during the year.
Recap of Key Presidential Healthcare Highlights in America
The US has always had trouble with healthcare dating back to the late 1800s. Each presidential administration facing the challenges of unions, the medical industries, politicians, special interest groups, insurance providers and “we the people”. Some administrations tackling the healthcare issue head on while others choose to make other issues their priority and settling for Healthcare status quo. Here are several presidents that majorly championed or defeated Healthcare in America.
President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) was the first to somewhat address the issue. He supported health insurance because he believed that no country could be strong whose people were sick and poor, however most of the initiative for reform took place outside of government.
In 1906, the American Association of Labor Legislation (AALL) finally led the campaign for health insurance. Drafting a model bill in 1915, the bill limited coverage to the working class and all others that earned less than $1200 a year, including dependents. The services of physicians, nurses, and hospitals were included, as was sick pay, maternity benefits, and a death benefit of fifty dollars to pay for funeral expenses. Costs were to be shared between workers, employers, and the state.
Jumping to President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) who in 1933 presented the Federal Emergency Relief which declared healthcare to be a fundamental human right. His push was unsuccessful in his effort to successfully move Social Security legislation.
Following his death his predecessor President Harry Truman (1945-1953) was strongly committed to a single universal comprehensive health insurance plan, he became the first president to propose national health insurance legislation.
The Medicare program was established by legislation and signed into law on July 30, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969). Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are either age 65 and over, or who meet other special criteria.
It was the Richard Nixon Administration (1969-1974) that coined and enacted the HMO act. President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) was opposed to socialized healthcare, universal health care, or publicly funded health care. The Bill Clinton administration (1993-2001) was unsuccessful with Health Security Act and unofficially nicknamed “Hillarycare”. Its goal was to come up with a comprehensive plan to provide universal health care for all Americans. If fell flat with defiance in Congress.
President Barack Obama’s (2009-Present) Affordable Care Act represents the most significant regulatory overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. The Affordable Care Act /ObamaCare doesn’t regulate your health care; it regulates health insurance along with some of the worst practices of the For-profit Healthcare Industry.
As 2016 open enrollment deadlines approach take advantage of a hard fought healthcare right made available for you, your family and community. To find out more about healthcare coverage visit http://www.coveredca.com/apply/ or https://www.healthcare.gov. Tell a friend and neighbor.
