Reply #78: It doesn't matter if the exclusions are eliminated

[Ms. Toad]

if the premiums are prohibitive.

How is my daughter, who will likely be unable to work full time - but will be too healthy for several years to be eligible for SSI/SSD (I hope) going to afford $12,000 a year?

Pre-existing conditions are a problem primarily for people who have not ever had what is known as "creditable" coverage (most traditional plans) - or for those who had them but could not afford to continue their coverage. If you have ever had coverage for a minimal period (perhaps 18 months - I don't recall exactly), insurance companies are obligated to cover pre-existing conditions (provided you don't permit a gap of more than 63 days). The real problem is that the cost is uncontrolled. Unless the cost is controlled, the elimination of exclusions for pre-existing conditions will only help a small portion of those who need help - and then only those who can afford whatever the insurance companies (or the public health option) chooses to charge.

My concern is that we are starting out asking for what is a less than minimally acceptable option - one that gives us virtually nothing to start out with. Negotiation generally winds up somewhere in the middle. If you start below what is even minimally acceptable as an endpoint, you're not going to be able to expand from there. We need to start asking for something that severs access to health care from health, wealth, employment, or ability to maintain status as a full time student. If we have to, we compromise for less. What I'm cranky about is that we're cheering because Kennedy is going to stand firm about asking for the crumbs off the floor.