This is the whole of one section, section 102. What does it say to you? Do you know what grandfathered means? How about limitation? Restrictions? Grace period? Exceptions? Acceptable? Excepted? Permitted? This is about locking you in, not helping you out. For our kids sake, don't buy the hype.
SEC. 102. PROTECTING THE CHOICE TO KEEP CURRENT COVERAGE.
(a) Grandfathered Health Insurance Coverage Defined- Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, for purposes of establishing acceptable coverage under this division, the term grandfathered health insurance coverage means individual health insurance coverage that is offered and in force and effect before the first day of Y1 if the following conditions are met:
Grandfathered Health Insurance Coverage- if you already have coverage you get to keep it, but...
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(1) LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT-(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day of Y1.
If you want to get the coverage that is offered under a grandfathered plan, because you don't want to pay the monopolistic rents that the government will seek through taxes + premiums (what is that 2 - 3x the actual cost, oops, definitely not cheaper.) then you are unable to enroll, because the plan is not allowed to accept new enrollments.
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(B) DEPENDENT COVERAGE PERMITTED- Subparagraph (A) shall not affect the subsequent enrollment of a dependent of an individual who is covered as of such first day.
But if you have dependents you can bring them in under the plan (still means you are SOL if you weren't part of the plan after the artificial monopolistic cut off date.
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(2) LIMITATION ON CHANGES IN TERMS OR CONDITIONS- Subject to paragraph (3) and except as required by law, the issuer does not change any of its terms or conditions, including benefits and cost-sharing, from those in effect as of the day before the first day of Y1.
The insurance company will not be allowed to change the plan to suit changing business climates. So much for allowing continued competition? How long until the government mandates that you must contribute into the pool that goes towards those flaky imbeciles that want sex-changes, plastic surgery and other gold-plated coverage that the AVERAGE American has no need of.
Assume the Position, we're all about to get fucked over hard.
(3) RESTRICTIONS ON PREMIUM INCREASES- The issuer cannot vary the percentage increase in the premium for a risk group of enrollees in specific grandfathered health insurance coverage without changing the premium for all enrollees in the same risk group at the same rate, as specified by the Commissioner.
The insurance company is no longer allowed to respond to excess demand by jacking up premiums to make good their losses when the real world data does not match the modeled data or data based on their actuarial tables. Bad deal, this will effectively lead to the bankrupting of the insurance industry.
(b) Grace Period for Current Employment-based Health Plans-
- (1) GRACE PERIOD-
(A) IN GENERAL- The Commissioner shall establish a grace period whereby, for plan years beginning after the end of the 5-year period beginning with Y1, an employment-based health plan in operation as of the day before the first day of Y1 must meet the same requirements as apply to a qualified health benefits plan under section 101, including the essential benefit package requirement under section 121.
The government is going to dictate what insurance plans must cover, and thus is going to eliminate competition, except for on pricing. This is not a free market solution, this is a dictatorial Nazi-esque solution full of bureaucrats dictating to people what they are obligated to buy. It is a plan for Nazis, Communists and Socialists, not for free-market loving individualists.
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(B) EXCEPTION FOR LIMITED BENEFITS PLANS- Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an employment-based health plan in which the coverage consists only of one or more of the following:
[*](i) Any coverage described in section 3001(a)(1)(B)(ii)(IV) of division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
(ii) Excepted benefits (as defined in section 733(c) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974), including coverage under a specified disease or illness policy described in paragraph (3)(A) of such section.
(iii) Such other limited benefits as the Commissioner may specify.
Does any one know what the American Destruction and Famine Act of 2009 says?
[*]
In no case shall an employment-based health plan in which the coverage consists only of one or more of the coverage or benefits described in clauses (i) through (iii) be treated as acceptable coverage under this division
(2) TRANSITIONAL TREATMENT AS ACCEPTABLE COVERAGE- During the grace period specified in paragraph (1)(A), an employment-based health plan that is described in such paragraph shall be treated as acceptable coverage under this division.
It sounds like it is saying that during a grace period the insurance plans will not have to match the dictated edicts of our imbecilic leaders.
(c) Limitation on Individual Health Insurance Coverage-
(1) IN GENERAL- Individual health insurance coverage that is not grandfathered health insurance coverage under subsection (a) may only be offered on or after the first day of Y1 as an Exchange-participating health benefits plan.
You wont be able to get insurance on your own unless you already have insurance that you're swapping.
WTF?
(2) SEPARATE, EXCEPTED COVERAGE PERMITTED- Excepted benefits (as defined in section 2791(c) of the Public Health Service Act) are not included within the definition of health insurance coverage. Nothing in paragraph (1) shall prevent the offering, other than through the Health Insurance Exchange, of excepted benefits so long as it is offered and priced separately from health insurance coverage.
You will not be able to get additional benefits that you pay for unless they are separate from your basic policy. That is, insurance companies will no longer be free to offer a variety of plans that allow consumers to pick and choose exceptions and inclusions in their policy.
This is an imbecilic attempt to make a one size fit all plan.
It didn't work in Taxachusetts, it is not going to work anywhere.
The plans dictated by the Federal Government will likely obligate individuals to pay into pulls they WILL NEVER USE, and thus will lead to the subsidization of plastic surgery, gastric bypasses (which the average American (60+%) do not need) and other gold-plate items that only cater to dumb fat asses that are too stupid to have their self-esteem by independent of their external appearance.