Obama’s health care plan is finally passed

President Obama’s health care plan, or ObamaCare, was made into law on March 23^rd, 2010. It was passed by the House of Representatives on March 21^st, 2010 with a vote of 219-212 and by the Senate on December 24^th, 2009 with a vote of 60-39. No Republicans of either house voted for the bill. Obama had lobbied endlessly, starting in 2009, for the passing of his health care reform.

The plan was split into ten titles. Some changes will be effective on September 21^st, 2010. Other changes will be effective starting in 2014.

Starting on September 21^st, 2010, children and young adults will be allowed to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until they turn 26. Insurers will be prohibited from charging co-payments or deductibles for preventive care and medical screenings on all new insurance plans, but old plans will still be allowed to charge extra money. Insurers will not be able to enforce annual spending caps and will be prohibited from dropping their clients when they get sick.

By 2014, everyone, including immigrants, must have insurance, or else they will be fined. People with an income of less than 88 thousand dollars will be given government money grants, but they still must buy insurance. Insurance companies will be fully prohibited from discriminating against or charging higher rates for any people with pre-existing medical conditions. Insurers will not be able to establish annual spending caps, but people with income more than $200,000 will have higher tax rates, as the government must receive four thousand trillion dollars by 2024. There will be increased Medicaid funding for all states.