Waiting for 2014

I am pleased that the United States has a health reform law but, going forward, I have concerns as to how the new law might affect me and my family.

By way of explanation, you should know that I am a single, 48 year old male, uninsured job seeker who is a caregiver for an elderly parent.

In any situation, I always take the good with the bad, so here is how I break down the new law:

The Good:

Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credit help towards insurance premiums.[1] This is important to me because almost all of the companies I seek employment with are small companies and many of the companies do not currently offer benefits.

Lifetime limits on benefits and restrictive annual limits will be prohibited.[2] This is reassuring to be because while I am reasonably health for my age, there are two conditions that need regulated. When they are regulated, I am just fine. In the recent past, I have former health insurers summarily quit providing coverage, without explanation.

State-run "high-risk pools" will be available this fall.[3] This will help me because despite me being reasonably healthy, the two afore-mentioned conditions have put me in the "high-risk" category in the past and jacked up my costs considerably. In the interest of disclosure, I admit to taking medications for depression and needing chiropractic treatment for two old back injuries. Does this sound like high-risk to you?

The Bad

Being denied insurance for pre-existing conditions won't take affect for adults until 2014.[4] Until then, it looks as though health insurance companies can continue having their way with me.

The donut hole will close in 2020. [5] This is not soon enough. I oversee the care of my elderly father. He currently is in hospice care at a personal care home and every penny of his income goes towards his care. That he has to pay even more for a Medicare Part D program designed to make pharmaceutical companies even wealthier is an injustice to all elderly. Simply stated, my father will not live long enough to see this injustice righted.

The biggest worry that I have is the cost that health insurance premiums will have in the short-term. I am having difficultly finding any information as to how the health insurance companies, from now until 2014, will be able (or unable) to continue their astronomical premium hikes.

I am concerned that when I find work in the worst economical conditions of my lifetime that I will get gouged for the privilege of health insurance.

Personally, I am a believer in universal health care. I know of people in other countries who live normal lives with no where near the costs we bear in the United States.

To reiterate, I am very pleased that health care reform is law but-2014 is a heck of a long way off.

I believe that the bill will ultimately be a big help to me-by 2014. That's nearly four years away.

[1] Binckes, Jeremy and Nick Wing. "Health Reform Bill Summary: The Top 18 Immediate Effects." Huffington Post, 3-22-2010

[2] Cooper, Anderson. "When Will Health Care Reform Affect You?" AC360.Blogs.Com, 3-24-2010

[3] Adams, Katie. "10 Ways The New Health Care May Affect You." SFGate, 3-24-2010

[4] Binckes, Jeremy and Nick Wing. "Health Reform Bill Summary: The Top 18 Immediate Effects." Huffington Post, 3-22-2010

[5] ENewsParkForest.com. "AARP Board Chair Tells Senate: Close the Donut Hole."