Health Care Law - Some Parts Begin Today
By: Ray Doughty
Updated: September 23, 2010
"Now I can focus on my health instead of focusing on how am I going to pay to get better," said cancer patient Gail O'Brien.
Starting today, health insurers can no longer impose lifetime limits or deny children with pre-existing conditions.
Preventive care checkups must be covered.
"That should save us all a lot of money," said President Obama.
Adults can now stay on their parents' insurance until they're 26 years old.
These are new provisions that President Obama calls the most important Patients Bill of Rights in our nation's history.
"They're designed to make sure that you have basic protections in your interactions with your insurance company; that you're getting what you pay for," said Obama.
Republicans say it's not that simple.
Illinois Representative John Shimkus said, "Premiums may go down slightly however co-payments and deductibles will go up."
Tennessee Representative Phil Roe said, "Access to care goes down because you've got more people and fewer doctors seeing patients."
Republicans are vowing to repeal health reform as part of a 21-page "Pledge To America" they will announce today.
It includes: tax cuts for everyone…including the rich, business tax breaks, ending bailouts, cutting government spending back to 2008 levels, tough border patrols and fully funding missile defense.
