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Healthcare reform is a hot topic because healthcare remains prohibitively expensive for so many people in Florida. While the Affordable Care Act has expanded access to healthcare for many people, the reality is that healthcare remains prohibitively expensive for many people. Between the cost of insurance premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses, basic healthcare can cost people thousands and thousands of dollars a year, with much higher expenses if people experience healthcare challenges requiring care.
Florida benefitted substantially from some of the federal healthcare reform laws. For example, Floridians cannot be denied healthcare coverage for a pre-existing condition. In addition, rates cannot be made prohibitive because of these conditions, as was once the case in high-risk insurance pools. Instead, the only factors that can be considered in insurance rates for people in the open market are age, whether you are a smoker, whether the insurance is for a family or an individual, and the insured’s geographic location. In addition to health history, gender also cannot be used to determine rates. Even the age-related price difference is limited. For example, the highest rate for a 64-year old is limited to a maximum of three times the cost for a 21-year old.
One of the biggest benefits of healthcare reform is that it has added some transparency to the process of healthcare purchases. The healthcare plans have to offer a clear explanation of their benefits so that consumers can more easily compare healthcare plans. In…
