With the new health care reform bill still rolling out there are major questions to be answered. Life is not simple. There is only so much money to go around. People throw the word rationing around like it is evil but not all services can be covered. I think the work rationing has to be changed due to its negative connotation. Anyway, without patients directly paying for at least some of the bill themselves there is the risk of abuse. Without further ado, this was recently was published in the WSJ . These are the 10 categories of benefits that the health law considers essential. The examples underneath are services that are up for debate on whether they are to be covered. What do you think?
Ambulatory patient services
-Varicose vein treatment
Emergency services
-Nonemergency care administered in ER
Hospitalization
-Total hip replacement
Maternity and newborn care
-Fertility treatments
Mental health and substance-abuse disorders
-Unlimited length of stay in a facility
Prescription drugs
-"Lifestyle" medications such as Viagra
Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
-Unlimited physical therapy
Laboratory services
-Biometric testing, including genetic markers or DNA analysis
Preventative and wellness services and chronic disease management
-Nutritional counseling
Pediatric services, including oral and vision care
-Braces
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