TakeAction Minnesota convened a party at the State Capitol yesterday to say goodbye to many health insurer abuses and to celebrate the beginning of the consumer impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama six months ago. Long awaited features of the new act include extended coverage for young adults; its prohibition of excluding coverage for children with pre-existing conditions; that it provides free preventative care; bans insurance companies from dropping coverage when we get sick; empowers consumers to appeal insurance company denials and eliminates lifetime limits on insurance coverage.
Two consumers, Mark Brull of Edina and Julie Olson of Minneapolis told their family stories of how this new act will improve their lives. Cristal Thomas, Regional Director, Region V of the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services described some of the details.
President Obama talks about the provisions of the health care bill that go into effect on Thursday.
President Obama tells a crowd in Falls Church, Virginia:
Number one: Paul already mentioned the issue of lifetime limits. That is not going to be the rule anymore after tomorrow. If you’ve got a policy, you get sick, the insurance company covers you.
Number two: preexisting conditions for children. Children who have preexisting conditions are going to be covered.
Number three: We’re going to make sure that if young people don’t have health insurance through their employer, that they can stay on their parents’ health insurance up to the age of 26, which is obviously a huge relief for a lot of parents who are seeing their young people just coming out of college and not being able to get insurance.
You’re going to be able to make sure that the insurance company doesn’t drop you because of an innocent mistake on your insurance form. This rule of rescission, they are not going to be able to drop you arbitrarily, which gives you more security.
Number four: You’re going to be able to choose your doctor and not have to go through some network in an emergency situation as a consequence of these rules, so it gives customers more choice and more options.
September 22, 2010by Jacob WheelerDC, Health CareComments Off
President Obama made a surprise call yesterday to Gail O’Brien, a woman in Keene, NH, who is benefiting from the Affordable Care Act, which was passed six months ago today. Gail was previously uninsured and diagnosed with high grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Thanks to the new law, Gail now has insurance through the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan that will pay for her treatments, and she is responding very well.
Today is the first day of Fall, and it’s also the six-month anniversary of Congress’ health care reform law — the signature achievement of this Congress and Obama’s White House. To celebrate, TakeAction Minnesota will hold a farewell party at 1 p.m. today at the State Capitol to “celebrate the end of insurance Industry abuses, hello affordable care act provisions.” Later today we’ll bring you coverage of the party.
Tomorrow, seven major provisions of the Affordable Care Act will take effect, including numerous consumer protections that end the worst of insurance company abuses. According to TakeAction Minnesota’s press release: “The new law puts an end to some devastating practices like dropping people because they got sick, putting annual and lifetime limits on how much coverage you can receive from your insurance policy, and denying children coverage because they’re sick.” Officials from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, as well as state legislators and Minnesota families impacted by this new law will attend the party.
State Rep. Cy Thao will lead a review and discussion of a legislative proposal to modify complaint, investigation, and hearing procedures for licensed health professionals, today at 1 p.m. in the State Office Building. … Continue Reading
While Governor Pawlenty’s Human Services director took more heat from lawmakers for not applying for federal heath care grants, the Mayo clinic indicated the Governor’s action may have already cost it $25 million.
Senator Ann Lynch, who represents the Rochester, the home of the Mayo clinic brought up the concern during Wednesday’s legislative committee hearing on health care exchanges.
“I think the Mayo Clinic has been very forthright, very candid, very transparent, frankly very vocal in their concerns with regard to this latest action. And it comes on top of, and I think that’s important to look at the cumulative effect, it comes on top of the rejection of early enrollment for Medicaid. This on top of that for that one entity, which is our largest private employer at a time when we continue to struggle with jobs in our economy, alone represents a 25 Million dollar loss to that entity. And the clinic in its statement that it’s issued indicates that this decision impacts the viability of this economic engine for our state.”
The Mayo Clinic issued a statement:
“The complete implications are not known yet, but Mayo Clinic is concerned about the position the governor took Tuesday relating to the federal reform law. The gov’s actions regarding GAMC and rejection of early enrollment in Medicaid have already cost Mayo Clinic and Mayo Health System a projected $25 million. As the state’s largest private employer, Mayo attracts patients from around the nation, and actions by the governor that jeopardize Mayo’s ability to continue to attract these patients and their families to Minnesota for health care, jeopardizes a vital economic engine for our state.”
In the video DFL lawmakers question Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman about Governor Pawlenty’s decision not to seek a federal planning grant for creating a state health care insurance exchange. Senator Linda Berglin, DFL-Mpls, Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Mpls, and Sen. Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester, outline their concerns about foregoing the grant application. Video from Minnesota House And Senate Media Services.
At 6 p.m. we’ll bring your blood to a boil with coverage of a Tea Party rally headlining U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline. Minnesota’s GOP lieutenant governor Annette Meeks is also scheduled to appear. This event in Watertown, Minn., is billed as a political rally to “recapture America for ‘We the People’”. Then at 6:30 we’ll air the Minnesota Governor Joint Chambers’ Debate from St. Joseph’s Hospital here in St. Paul.
President Bill Clinton stumps for Al Franken - Nov 30, 2008
State DFL legislators continued questioning Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman about Governor Pawlenty’s decision not to seek a planning grant for establishing a federal health care insurance exchange.
Why would anyone turn down $1 Million in federal funding? Minnesota House Majority Leader Tony Sertich wanted to know why Governor Tim Pawlenty did. So Sertich asked the man who prepared the paperwork for the Governor, Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman.
Ludeman said the money was just an assessment grant to help the state get another grant. “Planning to plan” as Ludeman put it, and the Governor didn’t think that was worthwhile.
Senator Al Franken announces the “Understanding The True Cost Of College Act” that would require colleges to use easier to understand language in their financial aid package offers to students.
Hindia Ali, Youth Leadership Development Coordinator at Somali Action Alliance is a delegate the the 2012 National Democratic Convention, the first Somali-American to be a delegate.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, President Obama ripped into Republicans for their lack of compromising and for the first time mentioned his likely Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, by name.
Minnesota women in healthcare predicaments met with with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. Betty McCollum and Governor Mark Dayton on Friday — the two year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.
President Obama says many of the factors that are driving up gas prices are out of our control such as unrest in the Middle East. However, he points out there are some things that are in our control such as fraud and manipulation that can cause prices to spike even further.
President Obama talks about an all-of-the-above American energy strategy at a Daimler manufacturing plant in North Carolina that’s making trucks that run on natural gas.
Senator Al Franken is used to close elections. This time he didn’t beat his opponents, but had to settle for a tie with Representative Chip Cravaack in the second annual Minnesota Congressional delegation hotdish cookoff.
President Obama would like to reform taxes so we reward companies that invest in the US, not ones that send jobs overseas. But there are some barriers, such as Congress.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu uses his photo op with President Obama today to talk up how the US and Israel are united against Iran, which is suspected of trying to create a nuclear bomb.
President Obama warns that “loose talk” of war was only helping Iran, while pushing back against charges from GOP presidential contenders that he has been less than a loyal ally to Israel.
One year after the tornado that ravaged North Minneapolis, things are looking up for Anthony and Shemeika Strong. The absence of the Broadway Liquor Outlet has also been a blessing for their neighborhood.
Occupy coalesced activists from many neighborhood and civic groups to protest bank actions: Home foreclosures, refusing Somali funds transfer, voter photo ID, anti-immigrant actions.
3M shareholders at annual meeting were asked to stop all corporate contributions to political campaigns and to disclose corporate political lobbying efforts. As expected, the resolutions were voted down, but the activists pledged to continue efforts.
After the six-week US-Dakota War of 1862, 38 Dakota men were hung in one of the largest mass executions in US History. Many argue that the trials were a sham, that is was the largest injustice in the nation’s history. Today, Representative Dean Urdahl, Chair of the Legacy Committee in Minnesota and the Civil War Task Force, seeks to, “rub a little salve in the wound,” by seeking a pardon for one of those warriors who was hung on that fateful December day. His name is Chaska.
The Minnesota House and Senate have each approved different versions of a Vikings stadium proposal. So now it is up to a conference committee to reconcile the differences.
Principle or politics? On Friday, Governor Mark Dayton went heavily with principle and imperiled the politics of his top legislative priority — thousands of jobs from building a new Vikings football stadium.
One year after the tornado that ravaged North Minneapolis, things are looking up for Anthony and Shemeika Strong. The absence of the Broadway Liquor Outlet has also been a blessing for their neighborhood.
Nearly a year after the tornado that ripped through North Minneapolis, opinions vary greatly on what the poverty-stricken community needs most from local and state government. Should the City introduce “pie in the sky” ideas or focus on more immediate problems?
Representative Bobby Jo Champion talks about the challenges facing some of his constituents in North Minneapolis almost a year after a devastating tornado.
Rebuild It Right, an organization made up of architects and designers from Minneapolis, is helping homeowners advocate for quality design in the wake of the May 22nd Tornado.
The Vikings stadium deal got the support of Minneapolis City Council members. Council member Don Samuels says that this is a good deal for his constituents. It will provide jobs to a part of the city that has the highest rate of unemployment.
Embattled homeowner Monique White took one more step Friday toward what could become an improbable victory that would let her stay in her North Minneapolis home. Judge Mark Labine will decide on Monday whether White will get a jury trial in District Court.
Through negotiations and persistence and the good will of all, Phil Freshman and Jim Roth have worked with Beth El Synagogue and obtained a weekend (5/18-20)in residence of a Torah Scholar, Rabbi Kahn-Troster, on the issue of human rights and torture. The issues will be addressed from religious, legal, medical, ethical and practical perspectives. Open to the […]
