Posts Tagged ‘health care reform’

642,000 Alabamians have something to celebrate

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

One great result of this week’s health care overhaul is that 642,00 uninsured Alabamians will be eligible for health coverage.

The Birmingham News reported that when the legislation takes effect in 2014, 400,000 new Alabamians will be eligible for Medicaid.  The coverage will now extend to people living at up to 133 percent of the poverty line – for a family of four, just $29, 327 a year. This is a 50 percent increase over previous Medicaid coverage in Alabama.

Medicaid covers children, pregnant women, seniors, and the disabled who are living in poverty. About 20 percent of our state receives Medicaid benefits already. This expansion will cover even more of our neighbors living in poverty.

Additionally, an estimated 242,000 Alabamians who are uninsured due to pre-existing medical conditions will be able to buy insurance through state-run exchanges.

Want to see how the health care reform legislation will affect you immediately? Check out this nifty interactive graphic at the New York Times.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

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Posted in Health Care | No Comments »

Senate Finance Committee Votes Yes

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

The Senate Finance Committee finally took a vote on health care reform on Tuesday.  Thanks to an unexpected yes from Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), the committee voted 14 to 9 in favor of the legislation, which aims to provide health insurance to more Americans by expanding Medicaid, provide tax credits to help low- and middle-income people buy coverage, and creates health insurance exchanges for individuals and small businesses. It also would require employers that don’t offer coverage to help pay for employees’ government-subsidized coverage.


As reported in Wednesday’s New York Times, “Snowe’s remarks silenced the packed committee room, riveted colleagues and thrilled the White House.”

If passed, this Health Care Reform legislation will bring a sigh of relief and take a pound of heavy bricks off the shoulders of children and adults suffering from pre-existing conditions.

I am one of those people.  I have had Type 1 Diabetes since I was seven and have endured the disease’s daily burdens for sixteen years.  My college graduation in May was very scary for me, because I knew I could no longer depend on my dad’s insurance plan.  When I added up the costs of one month’s worth of medication, I nearly fainted.  I felt enraged and overwhelmingly helpless.



Having President Obama in the White House brought me some hope in the lifelong battle I have had and will continue to have not only with diabetes but also with insurance companies.  President Obama’s intent to make healthcare available to everyone and ensure that all pre-existing conditions be covered was the first time I felt some relief.  I have tangible hope that my fellow diabetes sufferers and I will have some relief from the daily worries and hassles of the disease.  Change really can happen and it could even happen during my lifetime.

I hope you will continue to engage in our national discussion about healthcare.  Our lives – and the lives of our family, friends and neighbors – depend on it.

Posted by Patience Kleber

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Posted in Health Care | 4 Comments »