Five Immediate Consumer Benefits Under Health Reform

1. Stops insurance companies from denying care based on "pre-existing conditions."
   • Immediately people who are uninsured due to a pre-existing condition can buy insurance through a special insurance program
   • Within 6 months of passage, no new health plan can discriminate against children with pre-existing conditions
   • In a few years, no insurance plan can deny coverage to anyone for pre-existing conditions
     
     
2. Stops some of the worst insurance company abuses. Insurance companies can no longer:
   • Cancel insurance coverage retroactively when you get sick (rescission)
   • Put lifetime limits on the dollar value of benefits
     
     
3. Expands coverage and care for the uninsured and people with insurance:
   • Allow young adults up to age 26 to stay covered on their parents' insurance
   • Offer free preventive benefits in new plans
     
     
4. Reduces prescription drug costs for seniors. Seniors whose spending falls into Medicare's prescription drug donut hole will have hundreds of dollars of immediate help and the entire coverage gap will be eliminated over time.
5. Saves money for small businesses. Small businesses choosing to offer coverage to workers will receive a tax benefit of up to 35% of premiums.

And these steps lay the groundwork for covering an additional 31 million uninsured Americans so that —

• For example, a family of 3 earning $37,000 would pay less than $200 per month for good health insurance for the entire family. The family's out-of-pocket costs would be limited, too, so even if someone in the family faced a serious illness, they would not have to pay more than $4,000 in out-of-pocket expenses.