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President Obama won a hard-fought battle last week. After months of stalled progress and fiercely partisan debate, the House passed a sweeping health care reform bill with a vote of 219-212. The $940 billion plan will completely reorganize the American medical system, extending coverage to roughly 32 million additional Americans.
There is coverage of this bill from every major news organization: CNN, NPR, and New York Times to name a few. The topic is also being discussed across Twitter and the blogosphere.
So how exactly does the bill affect people working in the allied healthcare field? Whether you agree or disagree with Obama’s policies, it is important to know how they affect you as a medical biller and coder.
- The bill increases coverage to 32 million additional Americans by requiring most Americans and businesses to have some kind of insurance plan or pay a fine.
- Parents will be allowed to keep their children on their health care plans until they are 26.
- Reform will eliminate discrimination based on pre-existing conditions or medical history. If an individual hasn’t been able to get coverage because of a pre-existing condition, a ban on discrimination for adults will take effect in 2014. Additionally, a pool will be set up for high risk adults to get coverage until 2014. For those of you who have a child with a pre-existing condition, a ban on discrimination for children will take effect immediately.
External sources: HealthReform.gov, New York Times Health Care Reform Overview
Prediction: All of these provisions, combined with the billions going to electronic health records, predict an increased need for billing and coding specialists in doctors’ offices. The sudden spike in the number of patients seeking care combined with rapidly changing electronic health records systems could mean more jobs in the allied healthcare field.
I have mixed feelings on the health care reform bill. I think it is great for the Medical Billing and Coders because this means jobs for all of us who have worked hard to get through school. I also like that the reform bill will eliminate discrimination based on pre-existing conditions or medical history. But the mixed feeling come in about the insurance premiums. Are the American people going to be able to afford the premiums? The next thing is it right to force every person to have health care? What if the person can’t afford the premiums? Then there is the fine that is going to be imposed if a person doesn’t have health insurance. If they can’t afford the premiums how are they going to pay a fine? Does this mean that person is going to jail? It would be great if every person in America could afford to have health insurance but in the America I live in I can’t see this happening.
Posted by P. Baughcum | February 20, 2011, 10:02 amGood info indeed, that pic of the kid up there just kills me. How do they even live? I can see definite growth in billing and coding with such an increase. I had watched the field for some time before I finally made the decision to jump in. Now I’m really glad I made the change too. I was laid off a job last year that this new bill is going to squash. The boss had said after looking into insurance for us all that there was no way he would be able to keep afloat and would have to close the doors. The bill is going to be making some big ripples like this all over the place that not everyone has even seen just yet, it will have it’s plussed and minuses.
Posted by Mike L. | February 22, 2011, 2:19 pmI feel that this bill, is going to give all of us, future billers and coders more work to do. We will not only be on are toes but also keep current with all codes.
Posted by Bandi Llamas | February 26, 2011, 3:32 pmAs a retired RN, the handwriting was on the wall years ago! We all fought having to use computers but in some areas it was a blessing in disquise! I’m now a student for coding and billing and can see where having everything electronic is invaluable.
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Posted by Yexuuhosq | March 1, 2011, 3:44 amI agree that it is great that health insurance will be easily available to a lot more Americans. But I agree with a few of the comments before mine. Realistically, how many more American’s will be able to actually afford the required health insurance? I mean as of this year, my husband’s premium that he pays for the family to have decent health insurance went up..again..and there is no compensation in his pay for that increase. Also, I canceled Part B of my medicare insurance because there was an increase in not only the premium, but also what I had to pay to the carrier out of pocket. What I don’t get is why they say that the cost of living has not increased, so no increase in SS benefits, but so many things ARE increasing in price. How does that make any sense?
Posted by Sherry Klinedinst | March 4, 2011, 10:17 amI am having great difficulty getting to the registration section of CMS…However, I would like to ask this question…Have the developments in congress since this article was published in March 2010, affected this health care bill proposed by President Obama?
Posted by Dianna Mumaw | March 13, 2011, 4:45 pmI believe that the 2010 Healthcare Reform will open up more jobs for Medical Billers and Coders. Unfornately I had a background in professional management and business administration and ended up jobless and no one was hiring. I decided to go to school for MB&C and got certified last December and am presently working on my Associates Degree for MB&C, because the healthcare industry is growing so quickly, I believe that I will benefit from this Healthcare Reform.
Posted by Edalydia Maldonado | March 22, 2011, 10:44 amI think this whole insurance thing is great for the rich but not for the middle class or poor. But it is a good thing for the government cause it means more money in their pockets every time someone does not have insurance so there goes another suckers money to the greedy politicians. So what do we do nothing I guess but just complain and complain and hopefully it will get better before it gets worse. I think every company should provide insurance wither you work full time or part time. Everyone is entitled to have health coverage. Since the government/ employees will have it for the rest of their lives, since we are paying for theirs, what makes us not have full coverage too, without all the bs that goes with it.
Posted by Shirley W | March 27, 2011, 12:29 pmIt will give us more work then god knows since everything is going to be computerized and knowing all the codes is going to be a job all on its own and it will help educate us even better with the codes and modifiers. By doing the work constantly and effectively we will be excellent coders.
Posted by Shirley W | March 27, 2011, 12:40 pmI think the reform has its’ good points and a few bad. The great thing concerns the pre-existing conditions. These people desperately need the coverage. I realize insurance companies are a business,and in business it always comes down to money. But aren’t they in the business of health? That should be a priorty, not the almighty dollar.
Posted by Patricia Kimmel | March 27, 2011, 5:00 pmI think the reform has its’ good points and a few bad. The great thing concerns the pre-existing conditions. These people desperately need the coverage. I realize insurance companies are a business, and in business it always comes down to money. But aren’t they in the business of health? That should be a priorty, not the almighty dollar. As for medical billing and coding, I think we will have many job opportunities.
Posted by Patricia Kimmel | March 27, 2011, 5:05 pmWhat exactly would thebill do? walker’s legistion would end, and at least 12.6 percent of their healthcare man,rather then demanding at everyone work harder so.
Posted by ROSIE DILES | March 28, 2011, 5:30 amYes, I do think that healthcare reform was needed. No, I don’t agree with all aspects of this bill. I feel that there are some people that will not be able to afford the insurance that the President is mandating. I am glad that we as billers and coders will be assured of jobs in the future.
Posted by Mecca Storer | March 28, 2011, 7:50 amI agree that there are some stipulations that needed to be covered that was not and the discrimination that was going on with the insurance providers but how is this to help us out? Not everyone can afford hospitalization along with any medical physician and etc. Who gives the right for someone to say that you have to have insurance before being seen? It is unethical for that to happen. The medical ethics are to see anyone even if they are not paid because that they can not afford insurance let alone be able to afford to see a physician for anything. The price of seeing a physician is discriminating enough to some people because if they do not have insurance then they are billed differently than if some one that does have insurance. Example: I went to see my family physician and my insureance was charged let say 97.00 just for the visit, but some one that does not have insurance is charged 75.00 for the same visit. So were is the justice in this. The physicians are getting more money out of the insurance companies and still we have to pay the deductable but yet were is the justice for those who can not afford the same visit as we with insurance? I guess what I am saying is that just because some one has insurance or not should be billed the same. The insurance companies are getting more than there share and also they keep raising everything up from the insurance companies to the physicians and so on. It is even hard for some one to get even medications they are outragous. My uncles is on disabliity and gets medicare and the insurance that he has does not pay the cost of all or most of his prescriptions. He gets plavix for to thin his blood and when he goes to get it filled he has to pay 118.00 for the prescription and that is after the insurance and then when he has met his allowment for the year then around October to December he has to pay full amount. So were is the help out and who controls all these cost and why are the insurance making double the funds ( from the client to the physician) and yet they are not wanting to pay out more for presciptions? This is were the down fall is about and The president needs to know that there is more out there than just to demand everyone to have insurance. If we are to have insurance then he needs to make sure that it is affordable all the way around so that everyone can get the right assitance that they need to better their health. He still needs to work on this and to have someone go in as a none insured patient and someone to go in as an insured patient and see hpw each is treated before making a decision like this. We have to many people now out on the streets and they can not get the medications they need as well as the help the need from a physician.
Posted by Pooh | March 29, 2011, 2:46 pmI feel like the need for Medical Billers and Coder will be at a high demand because, the number of people submitting claims to the insurance company will be increased and the Medicare and Medicaid coverage will be expanding. This will make the billing process much more complicated. There will be many changes taking place.
Posted by Lisa Bratcher | March 29, 2011, 11:41 pmMy concern also is the fact that I do have a pre-existing condition caused by an auto accident from 2003 which was not my fault. It was a rear-end collision at a stop light but I have suffered a fractured spine because of it. I currently am not employed and cannot afford insurance and cannot get it even if I want it because of the pre-existing condition. Even if without it I could not afford the insurance anyway due to the fact that I cannot get a job. My husband makes too much VA disability payments for me to be eligible to get assistance so where do people like me go. If I can’t pay for the insurance how could I pay the fine. I just pray I can get a job soon so I can get the medical treatment I need to relieve some of the pain I have from the chronic pain I have and live with daily. R.K.
Posted by Ruth Kratzer | March 30, 2011, 7:07 pmWell I see it like this…It’s good that the government found more money for health insurance. However, some people still won’t be able to afford it under there conditions. Patients shouldn’t have to wait 3 years for any coverage to kick in. As a biller and coder, some families can keep their family on insurance until the kids reach the age of 26. This will help keep the coding down for every visit and procedure which may be covered. It sounds good, but the time limits and stipulations might be to much for the patients.
Posted by Elizabeth Gascon | March 31, 2011, 8:24 amI feel like the rest . I have mixed feeling about this . What will happen to the people that can not afford insurance.Like the families with a lot of children. It is good that they will not hold it against the people who have pre-existing conditations, but bad they have to wait til 2014.
Posted by mary lawrence | March 31, 2011, 9:50 amIt’s not the government that’s going to fix you nor the health care system.
your h1ealth is your responsibility!
if you let anyone interfere with it, you are going to suffer and no one would care about you.
Posted by the garlic guy | April 1, 2011, 4:25 amI like the fact that there will not be discrimination for pre-existing health conditions and that a child can be under their parents health insurance untill they are 26. But I dont like the fact that they are requireing all businesses to provide insurance and all americans to get insurance or there will be a fine. Do they realize how many small businesses are trying to stay in business as it is with the economy. This will put many out of business. Also most americans can barely make it on the wages they are paid and will not be able to pay the premiums. So I am truely not for this bill.
Posted by Tonya | April 3, 2011, 3:28 pmI agree on the fact of it providing more jobs for us medical billers and coders. This should mean more job security as long as we are doing what we suppose to be doing. What we are going to have to make sure that we do, is continue to stay up to date with everything. I feel that in this field,you will be constantly learning something new everyday. I just hope that this health reform is a good idea and that it is in the best interest of all of the american citizens. Noone should be left out. Also, I feel that they should come up with a way to help the less fortunate pay for their premiums. The part about the fines is questionable to me though. You never know what the next person is going through and why they can not afford to pay the premium that may be require for them to pay, let alone a fine.
Posted by Carla Barnett | April 5, 2011, 9:23 pmI agree that there will be an increased need for billers and coders. They will need to make sure to stay current with the ever changing medical field. Since insurance is part of the billing and coding field, paying attention to how this affects the insurance side is also iimportant.
Posted by Deborah Buske | April 13, 2011, 9:09 amThis new heaalth care bill has had alot of controversy for sure. It has it’s positive points and some I’m not sure about. I don’t agree with the fines if you don’t accept it. I still think as Americans we should always be free to make choices for ourselves. I do know that there is going to be a high demand for medical billing and specialist to help maintain the medical offices and hospitals around the country and it is good that we are being trained to do that. I would say that it gives us a better chance at working in our high unemployment rates.
Posted by Terri Butterbaugh | April 13, 2011, 11:44 amI do feel that there will always be a place for medical billers.health insurance is so high now, and jobs are hard to come by so how can they expect everyone to be able to afford health coverage.if you can’t pay for insurance how can they pay a fine for not having coverage.
Cynthia Harrison
Posted by Cynthia Harrison | April 14, 2011, 7:00 pmThe reduction of paper filed claims being replaced with computer software may at first seem like a negative impact to the industry but in fact can be a positive. With this new technology medical billing and coding will be more involved than ever before and these services will not be able to be performed by most doctors. With the proper industry wide streamlined training process this can end up being a very positive event for this industry and make medical billing services very valuable.A negative effect of the health care reform bill will be the need for many workers to be retrained. This will be a very costly expense and will eventually be passed on to the individual patient in the form of higher doctor costs or higher insurance premiums. This cost will however be a onetime start type of cost and can be off set with the increased demand for medical billing companies moving forward into the future.
Posted by FCruz | April 15, 2011, 3:37 amI’m all for all Americans having insurance. I don’t know how everyone will afford it, let alone paying for a fine for not being able to afford it. The medical field is growing and the need for good coders will be in demand, will we as coders be able to afford the insurance ourselves?
Posted by Debbie Bridges | April 16, 2011, 7:20 amI feel great about this bill it will help people with medical insurance.
Posted by Misti Collins | April 22, 2011, 10:53 amI feel like the need for Medical Billers and Coders will be at a high demand soon simply because, the number of people submitting claims to the insurance companies will be increased and the Medicare and Medicaid coverage will be expanding. This will make the billing processes much more complicated. There will be many changes taking place.
Posted by Dominican Republic Hotels | April 30, 2011, 12:30 pmThe qualified/certified medical coding and billing professionals, will be very much needed with the understanding of the new way things will be done. With more people having coverage, and the eletronic health records the knowledge is a must in this field. I think it is great that the children with pre-existing conditions will be coverage immediately.
Posted by Patricia Sullivan | May 4, 2011, 3:53 pmI feel that they should really think about those that can’t afford medical insurance and has children. I am glad that they are increasing the numbers of insurance claims and the medicare and medicaid coverage will be expanding. This will help the biller and coders find jobs. The medical field is growing.
Posted by Dana Montgomery | May 5, 2011, 9:00 amI think the ban on prexsisting conditions is a good thing to have , because there are alot of people out there including me that have this. It is hard to find a insurance company to take you without paying a arm or leg for the insurance.
Posted by matilda sink | May 7, 2011, 8:38 amMixed feelings. Demanding that everyone have health insurance whether or not they can afford it sounds too much like government interference. Kind of like the book 1984.
Yes, it will be good for billers and coders, and we will have to stay on top of things. A good question from an earlier comment: Will we be able to afford our own insurance, or will the government provide it to us free of charge since we are providing an invaluable service? We will be performing a lot of more research and work than the public realizes.
Posted by T. Lynne Williford | May 8, 2011, 6:44 pmI am mixed about healthcare reform.
It has it’s good point but it also has some bad points. To eliminat pre-existing condition is great. I mean that some of the pre-existing conditions is caused by our enviornment, or childern that was born with a condition; and we should not be discriminated against for that.Being allowed to keep our childern on our insurance plan untill they are 26 is also good. Our young aduts that go to college we can finely pervide insurance for them and remove some of their stress.
But this part about requring all Americans to have some kind of insurance plan is unreal. I mean if you make $9.00 an hour your gross pay is around $360.00 and after taxes are taken out your take home pay is around $308.00. Depending on the type of insurance single runs around $50.00 weekly and family runs around $ 160.00 weekly, and eye care and dental is an extra cost. Then your take home pay is around $258.00 or $148.00. How are we to afford to eat or put a roof over our heads or clothes for the childern. Besides the goverment is now telling us what we can and can not do. So this part of the reform is unreal istic for most americans.
Posted by D.Dart | May 20, 2011, 4:00 amI think the increase in job opportunities is wonderful. I still think that there are too many unemployed Americans, who do not receive unemployment benefits. They aren’t eligible for medicaid, and have no health insurance. I’m curious, what happens to them?
Posted by Ellen | May 20, 2011, 7:42 amI am happy about some of the changes like: increasing the coverage age to 26, and eliminating pre-existing conditions. But, I am not happy with this being jammed down our throats. I feel it is uncostitutional to force americans to buy a generic plan of healthcare or pay a penalty. I think we will find in the future that it will have numerous flaws and loopholes. On the other hand, I do believe that it will be job security for all healthcare professionals, but I wonder what benefits it will ultimately have on indivials, and it,s cost.
Posted by carolyn fregia | May 23, 2011, 5:58 pmI agree with the preceding posts. I think it still is our responsibility to gather enough savings for our own medical needs or perhaps get a healthspring healthyadvantage medicare at least before we go on retirement.
Posted by David Forbes | June 5, 2011, 10:26 amMedicare Payroll tax on investment income — Starting in 2012, the Medicare Payroll Tax will be expanded to include unearned income. That will be a 3.8 percent tax on investment income for families making more than $250,000 per year ($200,000 for individuals).
Excise Tax — Beginning in 2018, insurance companies will pay a 40 percent excise tax on so-called “Cadillac” high-end insurance plans worth over $27,500 for families ($10,200 for individuals). Dental and vision plans are exempt and will not be counted in the total cost of a family’s plan.
Posted by tim jackson | June 5, 2011, 1:23 pmIt is amazing to me to look at the medical healthcare reform and know that in such a short time there will be a fine levied against people who can not afford medical coverage. If they could afford the coverage they would not be doing without. To a person who is financially straped, the extra fine could take them over the edge to bankruptcy.
Posted by Jean Gray | June 5, 2011, 5:50 pmOn the larger picture, I see great value in having all the medical records available for the patient’s care readily accessible for the medical team bring medical care to the patient. It is a fast paced world and even a short delay in access records could mean the difference between life and death. It reassuring that so many medical practices have adopted the electronic technology. The benefits to the billers and coders will be the increased jobs and the security of knowing the coding practices and being able to come into a practice with certificate and credibility.
Posted by Jean Gray | June 5, 2011, 5:56 pmI totally agree with President Obama’s take on the health care crisis and that all Americans should have access to affordable health care. The one thing that bothers me, however, is that a fine will be imposed on whoever does not have health insurance. What about the Americans who cannot afford the premiums? There are so many working poor in America that the premiums are out of reach for them. If this option was removed then the healthcare system in this country would flourish.
Posted by Denyse Brooker | June 7, 2011, 9:38 amWell I was married for 18 years to a former marine. We divorced in April…I was a stay at home mom all this time. Now I have no job no insurance and can not afford to pay for insurance as it is way too expensive so I am in big trouble if I get sick. Trying to find a job with benifits is not going well at all. If I could afford to pay the premium I would have it already as would most americans. Telling me I must get it is not going to make the money available to pay for it!
Posted by Tammy Alameda | June 8, 2011, 9:01 amHealth reform makes health care more affordable, holds insurers more accountable, expands coverage to all Americans and makes our health system sustainable.As the fight for protecting health care reform continues in America, there is no greater advocate for everyday Americans than President Barack Obama.This bill affect people working in the allied healthcare field. Whether you agree or disagree with Obama’s policies, it is important to know how they affect you as a medical biller and coder.The bill increases coverage to 32 million additional Americans by requiring most. Americans and businesses to have some kind of insurance plan or pay a fine. Parents will be allowed to keep their children on their health care plans until they
are 26. Reform will eliminate discrimination based on pre existing conditions or medical history. If an individual hasn’t been able to get coverage because of a pre-existing condition, a ban on discrimination for adults will take effect in 2014. For those of you who have a child with a pre-existing condition, a ban on
discrimination for children will take effect immediately.
All of these provisions, combined with the billions going to electronic health records, predict an increased need for billing and coding specialists in doctors’ offices. The sudden spike in the number of patients seeking care combined with rapidly changing
electronic health records systems could mean more jobs in the allied healthcare field.
Posted by Ela Burse | June 8, 2011, 1:39 pmThe Healthcare Reform Act cost me a good job with a good insurance package. It is also paying the cost of me going to school. I also know people who don’t make much money and can not afford insurance on their children that will be fined for it eventually. If someone can’t afford the insurance, How are they going to pay the fine. I think you can regulate and fine people to the point that they can’t survive. I think that the Health Reform Act needs to be rethought.
Posted by Murray Foran | June 9, 2011, 9:20 amIt couold increase more jobs for billing and coding
Posted by das | June 13, 2011, 5:40 amThe mandating of all records to be electronic will make it faster to get information to the necessary people who can use it. The job growth in this industry should be great and create lots of jobs for those of use who have chosen to invest in education in this field.
Posted by L Arney | June 19, 2011, 7:03 pmReally nice post, thanks.
Posted by Carbon Monoxide Detector | June 19, 2011, 9:27 pmIf it’s going to be possible for overall health care, which of course would be a good thing especially for medical billers and coders, let’s not forget to expand the privileges of Chiropracters and not just the MDs who choke pharmaceutic medicine down ones throat, which is as the word says “Pharmacea” which means cover over and is not a cure. Chiropractors align the body so that all tissues, ligaments, muscles and bones can work in harmony and not cause the problems most people take medicines to try and cure themselves. When a car is out of alignment the tires wear more on once side then the other causing other things to the vehicle to go wrong and cost more; same with the human body. Chiropractors hands are tied because they have to be backed up by an M.D. to go further. AMA needs to open more door for them because some people, like me prefer them to M.D.s promoting chemicals with adverse effects being thrown at you. My x-husband and I carried medical insurance on our kids while they were growing up and we could have bought a house with the money spent that was never used because the kids were never ill. Now, they are gown and still health because I never gave them medicine as children because we never had it as children. We had natural remedies. So open up all the doors so it won’t just be M.D.s prospering. There are natural alternatives and they were working before M.D.s came into existence. Overall, I can understand how Canada has overall healthcare; they have the supporting other European countries supporting them. Its a good potential but the Government is going to have to get real in working out the details.
Posted by Barbarra Baccus | June 19, 2011, 10:54 pmI think it is wonderful and praise Obama for taking action, because something had needed to be done!
Posted by Tracee Thompkins | June 22, 2011, 7:42 amI find the subject of the health care reform both a good thing and a bad thing. There are many good things to come from the reform bill like: More people having health insurance and not being discriminated against because they have health issues or because of their age. It is also going to creat jobs, but we have to ask ourselves if it is creating more jobs or just creating enough jobs to employ the people who have lost their jobs due to the new bill? On the other hand from the medical billing/coding and reporting aspects changing over to EHR will benefit every one involved by making the information at their finger tips. Think of the efficiancy that will creat. But I don’t think that it is right that the people should be forced to buy insurance whwn they can’t afford it for some of us we are living on less than poverty level incomes and insurance is a luxery for us. It doesn’t support our families.
Posted by Dana Kling | June 24, 2011, 1:27 pm