Tag: Affordable Care Act

Open Enrollment: 5 Things You Need To Know

Thanks to the efforts of millions of Americans around the country, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains the law of the land and young children and their families can still get the health insurance they need to thrive.

That means that on Wednesday, November 1 those that need comprehensive health insurance coverage that begins on January 1, 2018 can purchase it—often with significant financial help—through HealthCare.gov and state marketplaces.

Don’t let the headlines detract from this fact: moms and babies need health insurance to access critical services that are vital during the first 1,000 days—and it is available!

While we must remain vigilant to defend health care from ongoing threats, we also need to ensure that everyone who needs health insurance gets signed up. Soon, millions of Americans will be able to go to HealthCare.gov to choose a health plan that meets their needs. Leading up to and during open enrollment, we all must get the word out and help ensure people get covered.

Here are the top five things you need to know about open enrollment:

    1. Open Enrollment starts on November 1 and ends on December 15!

      Need health insurance for 2018? You must enroll between November 1 and December 15, 2017.This is the only time in the year to purchase health insurance through the Marketplace (other than in some very limited special life changes). So it’s important to get enrolled during this limited, open enrollment window! Coverage purchased during open enrollment begins January 1, 2018.

    2. HealthCare.gov (or your state’s marketplace) has information about the health plans available in your area.

      If you want to see what coverage options are available in your community, HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace has the information you need. Starting November 1, 2017, you can enroll in a plan that meets your health needs and the needs of your family. And coverage could be more affordable than you think. For many, significant financial help is available based on income and family status. Health insurance plans also offer help paying out-of-pocket expenses for some families. These subsidies are all still available to consumers and have not been impacted by any of the recent debates in Washington, DC.

    3. Shop around!

      Take some time to compare health plans in your area and understand what coverage options are available. HealthCare.gov or your state’s marketplace make it easy to do this. Understanding the differences among the plans is important and can help you choose the best option for your family. You may be able to even save some money!

    4. Help is available. So ask for it!

      Free expert help is available. If you have questions about signing up or want to talk through your options with a trained professional, free help is available online, over the phone, or in person. They can help answer your questions and assist with filling out the paperwork. To find a professional in your area, check out localhelp.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596.

    5. Spread the word!

      Know someone who needs health coverage? Spread the word! Open enrollment is just 45 days this year—and outreach efforts are limited. Please share this information with anyone you know who needs health insurance. We all can help ensure our family, friends and co-workers get connected and enrolled in the health coverage they need.

5 Reasons Why The Latest Effort To Repeal The Affordable Care Act Is Bad For Moms And Babies

While the future of the Senate Republican’s latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is uncertain, one thing is very clear – the Graham-Cassidy bill is bad for moms and babies.

Here’s why:

  1. Maternity, newborn and pediatric care are at risk.
    States would be able to waive the essential health benefits – like prenatal, maternity and pediatric care – currently covered under the ACA. That’s why even physician groups like the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are strongly opposing the bill.

    Essentially, this bill could mean a return to a pre-ACA health system when 75% of plans on the individual market did not include maternity coverage. Women would be left to decide between going without needed health services or paying out-of-pocket. That’s a decision no women should be forced to make.

  2. Women could pay more for less health coverage.
    Health plans could charge more for comprehensive coverage. This means more women would be forced to choose between buying cheap bare-bones insurance packages that don’t cover their needs – and paying out-of-pocket for other services (like maternity care) – or paying exorbitant prices for health plans that provide the coverage they need.

    We’d be stepping back in time, before the passage of the ACA, when women could be charged more for their health insurance just because they are women.

  3. Pregnancy could become a pre-existing condition (again).
    Insurers would be able to decide what is – and is not – a pre-existing condition, and then charge more accordingly. Just like before the passage of the ACA, women could be denied coverage (or charged a lot more) for health insurance just for having given birth or being of child-bearing age.

    In fact, according to the Center for American Progress, insurers could charge pregnant women over $17,000 more, putting health insurance out of reach for millions of women – right when they need it the most.

  4. The Medicaid program would be gutted.
    About one TRILLION dollars in federal funding for Medicaid would be cut. Medicaid is a critical source of health insurance for millions of low- and middle-income people. As the largest insurance program for women, it covers the cost of nearly half of all America’s births.

    Without Medicaid, women would become uninsured and lose access to the comprehensive health coverage that they desperately need. For those who could keep their Medicaid insurance, their coverage would likely shrink as states replace comprehensive health services with bare-bones coverage for maternity and infant health services.

  5. It hurts working families the most.
    The bill would end the financial assistance that makes purchasing health insurance possible for millions of America’s middle-income families. It repeals subsidies within ACA – subsidies that currently 85% of people purchasing insurance coverage on the marketplace receive.Coupled with the proposed cuts to Medicaid, the Graham-Cassidy bill would leave millions of Americans without their health insurance, according to analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

Graham-Cassidy is not the health care plan that America’s moms and babies—and thus the country as a whole—need. It is time for all Members of Congress from both parties to work together to ensure women, infants and young children have access to comprehensive and affordable health care they need to thrive.

Bipartisanship Is Possible – And We Need It Now More Than Ever

For the past several months, 1,000 Days and its community has called on Congress to work together to ensure America’s women, infants and young children have access to the comprehensive and affordable health care they need to thrive. From sharing personal stories to engaging directly with Members of Congress, we’ve seen how the power of people can truly affect change. Together, we protected health insurance for America’s moms and babies.

But now, once again, we find ourselves at a crossroads for health care—and we need everyone to weigh in.

On one hand, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Finance Committee have put forward bipartisan legislation to support the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a crucial source of health insurance for millions of children across the U.S. Action is needed by September 30th to protect this important program. The introduction of this bill shows that health care can—and does—transcend partisan bickering.

On the other hand, Senate Republicans are making one last-ditch attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act through the Graham-Cassidy bill. If passed, this bill would prove disastrous for America’s moms and young children.

The Graham-Cassidy bill would strip away comprehensive coverage and result in millions of people—including women and children—losing their health insurance. This bill proposes to:

  • Clamp down on, and quickly eliminate, the federal funding that makes individual coverage affordable.
  • Reduce Medicaid coverage for millions of parents and children.
  • Put benefit decisions in the hands of states and insurance companies, including to allow them to charge more for people with pre-existing conditions.

In short, this bill is a major step backwards for children and their families.

1,000 Days calls on Congress to reject all proposals that repeal the Affordable Care Act and instead to support and quickly advance bipartisan action, like the CHIP legislation, that invests in women, children and America’s future.

It’s Time to Work Together on Health Care

We at 1,000 Days are encouraged that members of the U.S. Senate put the health and well-being of Americans ahead of politics. We thank all the senators who voted to stop the rushed effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – which would have stripped 16 million Americans of their health insurance according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. In particular, we commend Senators Collins, Murkowski and McCain for their courageous votes and calls for bipartisan negotiations through regular and deliberative Senate procedure.

We now urge all Members of Congress from both parties to work together to support and stabilize the health insurance markets and to build on current law to ensure women, infants and young children have access to comprehensive and affordable health care.

The Senate Health Care Bill – A Misguided Plan for Health Care Reform

Yesterday – after weeks of negotiations obscured in secrecy – the Senate health care bill was finally unveiled. But this draft legislation puts the health of moms and babies at risk.

The Senate bill will force women, in particular, to pay more out-of-pocket costs to get the care that they need before, during and after pregnancy by giving states the ability to design health benefit packages—eliminating protections for essential health services such as maternity care, childbirth and newborn and pediatric care.

The Senate bill will eliminate health insurance for millions of America’s most vulnerable people, including children, by fundamentally changing how Medicaid is financed and rolling back Medicaid funding.

The Senate bill will force hard-working families to pay more for lower quality insurance, endangering the health and well-being of women, infants and young children across America.

While Senate leadership is trying to cut federal spending, they are doing so at the expense of Americans’ health.

This is misguided policy, at best.

1,000 Days urges senators to find real solutions for America’s health care needs and focus on building a healthcare system that ensures all mothers, babies and toddlers in America have the care they need to thrive.

The Senate is Closing in on a Health Repeal Bill, Albeit Secretly

Earlier this year, all anyone in Washington could talk about was health care and the Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As details of the House of Representative’s health care bill—the American Health Care Act (AHCA)—became clear, people all over the country were talking about it and speaking out in strong opposition.

Read our statement on the House-passed AHCA.

Over the last month, the process has moved over to the Senate, where Senate Leadership has been crafting their repeal bill behind closed doors. Aside from the 13 senators (all of whom are men) working on the bill, no one yet knows the details of the plan. All the other 87 senators—Republican and Democrat alike—have not been consulted. There have been no Committee hearings and no debate. What’s worse—the public has not been offered the opportunity to weigh-in on a bill that will impact every aspect of their health, and possibly their livelihoods.

Why all the secrecy? Likely because Senate Leaders know that the House passed a bill that was bad policy.

Let us be crystal clear: the AHCA is a bill that would leave moms, babies and all of us significantly worse off than we are today, putting our health and economic security at risk. The Congressional Budget office estimates that 23 million people will lose health coverage under the AHCA over the next 10 years, 14 million in just the first year alone. According to the Center on Budget and Policy, 3 million children will lose coverage, in large part due to the deep cuts to Medicaid, the primary source of health insurance for America’s most vulnerable families. It’s worth noting that Medicaid covers half of all births in the United States—about 2 million births a year.

What little we do know about the Senate proposal is that it will be just like the AHCA.

The Senate bill will likely still result in a dramatic increase in the number of people who are uninsured, sky-rocketing premiums and deep and fundamental cuts to Medicaid. Under any version of the bill, moms and babies across the country will be charged more for less coverage, putting life-saving services out of reach.

While Senate Leadership is crafting their repeal bill—perhaps hoping no one will notice or understand the impact before it goes to a vote—now is the time to stay engaged.

Our elected officials should be listening to America’s moms who understand the value of high quality and affordable health care for themselves and their babies.

What’s your experience with health care or health insurance? What are your concerns for the future? Share your thoughts and we’ll make sure to share them with policymakers here in Washington. They need to hear from all of us. Before it’s too late.

Protecting Health Care for Moms and Babies is Non-Negotiable

Over the last several months, we at 1,000 Days watched closely as policymakers sought to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For young children and their families, high-quality health care coverage is a foundational investment in healthier and more prosperous futures.

Thanks to the ACA, all health insurance plans – including employer-based plans – must provide women and children with health services during pregnancy, childbirth, infancy and beyond. And no woman can be denied coverage or charged higher costs because of pre-existing conditions like breast cancer, pregnancy, C-sections, and diabetes.

But efforts to repeal the ACA puts this all at risk.

As the House Republicans put forth their proposal to repeal and replace the ACA in early March – the American Health Care Act – 1,000 Days and its community mobilized and took action. Thousands of people spoke out and told Congress to protect comprehensive health insurance for women and young children. Dozens of people shared with us their personal stories of why health care matters.

In the end, the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives called off the vote on the American Health Care Act. This means that, for now, millions of hard-working families with young children will not have to pay more money for lower quality health insurance. A later version of the proposed bill even threatened to remove such basic services as maternity care and pediatric visits.

While the House bill stalled, this looks to be just the beginning.

Even now, on the eve of the congressional recess, rumors are circulating that the House will again try to pass a health care repeal bill. As such, 1,000 Days and its community will remain vigilant.

Earlier this week we delivered our community’s petition signatures and personal stories to Members of Congress to let them know that we are watching what they do next.

Ultimately, the health of moms and babies must be a national priority. This means ensuring that women have the health coverage they need to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. This is non-negotiable.

Couldn’t have done it without ACA

My son Diego surprised us all when he was born in April 2015, seven weeks before his due date.

After an otherwise uneventful pregnancy, during which I was fortunate to receive top rate prenatal care, his pre-term delivery came quickly and unexpectedly, without much warning.

My husband and I weren’t ready for his arrival, simply because we thought we had more time. We didn’t have a car seat, Diego’s crib was still in a box, and my husband and I spent the minutes between contractions searching the internet as we tried to decide on a middle name.

As parents, it was one thing that we were not prepared. But more importantly, Diego wasn’t ready for his own arrival. Born at 33 weeks, weighing just over five pounds, his lungs were not fully matured and he did not understand the basic survival technique of how to eat on his own, a skill developed in the third trimester.

Diego spent 17 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Our family is thankful for the care he received there and the support that we were given as new (and scared) parents.

Although his care was invaluable to us, it did come with a specific price tag: Diego’s two-week hospital stay approached $300,000.

We were lucky that Diego didn’t suffer from any enduring health problems – he was simply born too early. But many infants who spend time in the NICU require more intensive procedures or longer hospital stays.

Their hospital bills can quickly add up to well over a million dollars.

In 2009, before the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 59 percent of all workers (and their families) covered by employer health plans had a lifetime limit on their health insurance benefits. This means that there was a maximum dollar amount health insurance companies agreed to pay. If you surpassed that amount, then the cost for health services came out of your own pocket.

While those limits varied (and sometimes were as low as $1 million), many infants with NICU stays reached their lifetime limits on health insurance before they even left the hospital.

With the passage of the ACA, lifetime limits were prohibited, alleviating that concern for families of pre-term infants and others facing medical complications.

Because Diego was born before he learned how to eat on his own, he spent the first week of his life being fed through a feeding tube. As I knew the benefits of breast milk, particularly for a pre-term infant, I was intent on breastfeeding Diego.

While some moms who experience pre-term labor have difficulty producing breast milk, I was relieved that my hospital was supportive of my goal to breastfeed, lending me a breast pump to use in the hospital within an hour of delivery.

Outside of the hospital, I was also fortunate to benefit from the ACA provision that requires health insurers to cover the costs of a breast pump for new moms. Without this support, many new moms are unable to purchase effective breast pumps, making it impossible for them to meet their own breastfeeding goals.

When Diego was released from the hospital, he was able to effectively feed from a bottle but we still struggled during our many attempted breastfeeding sessions.

Discouraged, I was thankful to find out from a friend that the ACA also required health insurers to provide access to lactation support services. I credit the supportive and skilled assistance of a local lactation consultant for saving my breastfeeding relationship.

When I returned to work after my paid maternity leave, I was also provided time to pump during the work day – a right protected under the ACA. These key provisions allowed me to meet – and even exceed – my initial breastfeeding goals.

Our family felt lucky to have the support and care that both Diego and I needed during such a vulnerable period in our lives. But it shouldn’t be left to luck.

As the healthcare debate continues in the halls of Congress and beyond, it is critical that the United States maintains health coverage for all, regardless of employment or income, and that that health insurance is affordable and comprehensive, providing the coverage needed for children and their families to thrive.

Any effort to eliminate the protections I benefitted from would have detrimental effects for moms and babies everywhere.

And that is why I added my name to the petition: Don’t Let Congress Take Away Your Healthcare.