Monday
evening the Republican leadership released their plan to repeal and
replace the Affordable Care Act. The legislation, known as the American
Health Care Act (AHCA), has been received with mixed reviews by both
sides of the aisle. While some important provisions of the Affordable
Care Act (ACA) remain intact, there are some noteworthy differences that
will impact the limb loss community.
Dave and I (more he than I ) studied the bill yesterday in an effort to provide an accurate overview for the amputee community. Last night, after taking care of Timmy's evening routine and cleaning up Scott's birthday dinner, I managed to sneak away for 30 minutes to record a "breaking news" podcast on the AHCA. As always, our ultimate goal was to remain politically non-partisan but unabashedly pro-amputee.
An important takeaway, and an immediate but not yet solidified victory for the limb loss community, is the inclusion of essential health benefits (EHB) which were established by the ACA. The inclusion of EHB's is important because it safeguards access to prosthetic care by eliminating lifetime and yearly caps on coverage. Because EHB's are maintained in the AHCA, prosthetic users will not be subject to the archaic and many times disabling monetary limitations dictated by their insurance policy. As an EHB, prosthetic care must be covered in a manner reflective of other benefits in the policy.
It is important to note that maintaining EHB's in the first draft of the AHCA does not mean that the battle has been won. This legislation will go through numerous revisions as it evolves. It is paramount that the community remain vigilant about voicing our support for maintaining EHB's in the AHCA going forward. Please take some time to listen to our podcast (it is only 30 minutes long) and learn about the other aspects of this legislation. Stay informed and stay involved in the process. In the end, this legislation will impact everybody.
Dave and I (more he than I ) studied the bill yesterday in an effort to provide an accurate overview for the amputee community. Last night, after taking care of Timmy's evening routine and cleaning up Scott's birthday dinner, I managed to sneak away for 30 minutes to record a "breaking news" podcast on the AHCA. As always, our ultimate goal was to remain politically non-partisan but unabashedly pro-amputee.
An important takeaway, and an immediate but not yet solidified victory for the limb loss community, is the inclusion of essential health benefits (EHB) which were established by the ACA. The inclusion of EHB's is important because it safeguards access to prosthetic care by eliminating lifetime and yearly caps on coverage. Because EHB's are maintained in the AHCA, prosthetic users will not be subject to the archaic and many times disabling monetary limitations dictated by their insurance policy. As an EHB, prosthetic care must be covered in a manner reflective of other benefits in the policy.
It is important to note that maintaining EHB's in the first draft of the AHCA does not mean that the battle has been won. This legislation will go through numerous revisions as it evolves. It is paramount that the community remain vigilant about voicing our support for maintaining EHB's in the AHCA going forward. Please take some time to listen to our podcast (it is only 30 minutes long) and learn about the other aspects of this legislation. Stay informed and stay involved in the process. In the end, this legislation will impact everybody.
No comments:
Post a Comment