Thompson Celebrates Implementation of Patient's Bill of Rights
September 23, 2010
Congressman Mike Thompson announced that several important consumer protection features of health reform are set to go into effect today, six months after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. These provisions seek to end insurance company abuses, and put consumers and their doctors back in control of their health care.
“When I voted for this health care legislation, it was to make sure that all Americans had access to quality affordable health care,” said Congressman Thompson. “As of today, young Californians will be able to stay on their parents' insurance until their 26th birthday. This is very important, because young people are the biggest group of uninsured Americans. And, people will no longer be subject to lifetime caps on what health insurance will pay, or risk losing their coverage when they get sick. This will also make a big difference, because over 60 percent of people who declared bankruptcy in 2007 did so because of medical costs.”
As of today all privately-insured Americans will have the following protections:
- Health coverage cannot be arbitrarily cancelled if you become sick.
- Children cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition.
- Children up to age 26 can stay on their parents' health plan.
- Health insurance giants cannot put a lifetime limit on health coverage.
Beginning today, consumers purchasing new plans will have the following additional protections:
- Preventive services will be available without deductable or co-payments.
- Patients have the right to both an internal and external appeal of insurers' coverage decisions.
- Patients have the right to access out-of-network emergency room care at in-network cost-sharing rates.
Congressman Thompson also sent a letter to the California Insurance Commissioner today, asking him to look into ways to recoup money for insurance clients who may have been overcharged. In North Carolina, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin was able to return nearly $156 million to more than 215,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield policyholders. That's equivalent to more than 1.5 months of premiums.
“When I voted for this health care legislation, it was to make sure that all Americans had access to quality affordable health care,” said Congressman Thompson. “As of today, young Californians will be able to stay on their parents' insurance until their 26th birthday. This is very important, because young people are the biggest group of uninsured Americans. And, people will no longer be subject to lifetime caps on what health insurance will pay, or risk losing their coverage when they get sick. This will also make a big difference, because over 60 percent of people who declared bankruptcy in 2007 did so because of medical costs.”
As of today all privately-insured Americans will have the following protections:
- Health coverage cannot be arbitrarily cancelled if you become sick.
- Children cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition.
- Children up to age 26 can stay on their parents' health plan.
- Health insurance giants cannot put a lifetime limit on health coverage.
Beginning today, consumers purchasing new plans will have the following additional protections:
- Preventive services will be available without deductable or co-payments.
- Patients have the right to both an internal and external appeal of insurers' coverage decisions.
- Patients have the right to access out-of-network emergency room care at in-network cost-sharing rates.
Congressman Thompson also sent a letter to the California Insurance Commissioner today, asking him to look into ways to recoup money for insurance clients who may have been overcharged. In North Carolina, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin was able to return nearly $156 million to more than 215,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield policyholders. That's equivalent to more than 1.5 months of premiums.
Issues:Health Care