Obamacare: Covering pre-existing conditions but at what cost?

Tuesday, 07 September 2010 23:00

During the health care debates, Democrats and Obama touted a provision that would cause insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. But as you can read in Tuesday’s St. Petersburg Times, it came with a catch.

It turns out premiums for pre-existing condition plans are proving to be way too expensive for most people when those plans are administered by the federal government.

Take Clyde Holladay in the St. Pete Times article. His premium for a plan that covers pre-existing heart conditions would cost him an astonishing $773 per month. The pricey coverage has turned most eligible people away from the program.

“Of the estimated 4 million Americans eligible for the program, only about 2,000 had applied as of Aug. 1 in the 23 states, including Florida, that opted to have the federal government run their plans,” the article says.

Healthcare isn’t going to be administered well or cheaply simply because the federal government controls it. We should have allowed states to reform and establish high-risk pools and reinsurance programs to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions or past medical history, have access to care.

There are several issues I support that would help make health care more accessible and affordable, such as: Expanding community health centers; Letting employers join together to provide coverage; Encouraging preventive care; And eliminating the waste, fraud and abuse in federal health programs that makes up about 10 percent of health care spending.

Obamacare was sold with false promises and impressions that people were going to get free health care. Every day, Americans are waking up to find that Obamacare spends a lot but solves very little. Just ask Mr. Holladay.