Remember when you were a kid and your mom took you to the doctor every year for a check-up before school started? No? Well, maybe you’ve blocked it out. Don’t you remember getting that lollipop on your way out of the doctor’s office?
Now, because of the federal health care reform, you can start going to the doctor again every year for your check-ups, and it won’t cost you a thing. But only IF your health insurance plan started after the law’s enactment on 3/23/10, or IF you have changed up your plan since 3/23/10. The LA Times had a fairly good article in today’s Health Section which explains how and IF you can take advantage of this new “free” annual check-up.
Remember when you heard, “you can keep your plan if you want to?” Well, that’s true, sort of. You can keep your plan and if you make no changes to it, like the deductible, you will have the plan you’ve always had but you won’t have that new annual preventive care check-up either.
If you change your plan, or your employer changes your plan, then you’ll be able to get a free annual check-up, no deductibles, no co-pays.
The analysts are estimating that, as the cost of health insurance rises, almost everyone will make changes to their policies within the next 24 months. And then the insurance companies will be paying for your annual check-ups.
And while The Insurance Mom thinks everyone should go to the doctor every year for a check-up (if only to get that lollipop!), remember that mandates are expensive. And whether or not you take advantage of this new mandated benefit, we will all pay for it.
