Understanding Obama's Health Care Plan
Complete video at: fora.tv E. Richard Brown, founder and director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and a health advisor to the Barack Obama 2008 Presidential campaign, summarizes Obama's plans for health care reform. ----- Health care is a major issue in the current presidential campaign. Candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have laid out very different visions, and each believes his plan is best for our nation's citizenry. Come learn about each plan from the top policy advisors of each candidate, and take the opportunity to ask your own questions and get answers - The Commonwealth Club of California Dr. E. Richard Brown is a professor at the UCLA School of Public Health and the founder and director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. He received his PhD in sociology of education from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Brown has studied and written extensively about a broad range of issues and policies that affect the access of disadvantaged populations to health care. His recent research focuses on health insurance coverage, the lack of coverage, and the effects of public policies, managed care, and market conditions on access to health services, particularly for disadvantaged populations, ethnic minorities, and immigrants. Dr. Brown and the Center's studies of health insurance coverage, uninsurance, and eligibility for public programs have been used by California's governors, legislators, and advocates in crafting health insurance ...
The basic reason for this problem is that most people are more inclined to look at the benefit package that they are purchasing and never fully understand or consider the real costs of their insurance plans That is to say that they are so excited about the extensive benefit package that they are being offered that they seldom read the fine print on the contract. Thus the true cost of their insurance package is not fully understood. They are content in knowing that the can expect a long list of attractive benefits without drilling down to determine the actual annual cost of their insurance premiums. This is true because most people are not aware of the fact that the agent from whom they purchased their insurance policy is really more concerned about earning commission than delivering real benefits to the purchasers.
In fact the more benefits that the agent is able to sale you the more commission he will be able to make off of your insurance policy. This is one reason why so many people do not understand the true costs of health benefits.
Understanding COBRA Health Insurance
Learn how long the continuing coverage lasts—and what it might cost you. WHAT IS COBRA? The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act is a federal law passed in 1986. It requires companies with 20 or more employees to continue offering health insurance at group rates to former employees and their family members after they're no longer eligible for the group -- because of job loss or divorce, for example. Some states have similar rules for companies with fewer than 20 employees. WHO QUALIFIES? Former employees, spouses, former spouses and dependent children are eligible, regardless of their health. There are exceptions: You cannot get COBRA if your employer no longer offers health insurance to current employees. You're also out of luck if the company goes out of business. Federal employees are covered by a law similar to COBRA. HOW LONG DOES IT LAST? COBRA provides up to 18 months of coverage from the time you leave your job or drop to part-time status. The coverage lasts up to 36 months after you no longer qualify as a dependent on an employee's policy. That includes, for example, a child who reaches the cutoff age for coverage or a former spouse who gets a divorce from the employee. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? Probably more than you expect. You have to pay the employee's and the employer's share of the premium -- or an average of $12680 for families this year -- plus up to 2% in administrative costs. But legislation Congress passed earlier this year provides a 65% COBRA ...
