Mandatory insurance already a reality

By Kathy Rickertsen

I have seen Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, describe death panels with the health reform bill, running commercials on how he is saving Medicare for senior citizens and stating on TV that the health reform bill passed may be unconstitutional as it requires everyone to purchase major medical insurance.

Let me remind Grassley of the federal laws now in effect that are mandatory:

1. Medicare is insurance managed by the federal government for people 65 and over or disabled. At age 65, you are automatically enrolled in Part A whether you have insurance or not.

2. You are mandated by the federal government to have Part B in order to purchase a Medicare supplemental policy or a Medicare Advantage Plan.

3. The latest mandated law is the implementation of Part D (Prescription Drug Plans). The federal government requires that Medicare-eligible citizens have prescription drug coverage. If you do not have this coverage, you are penalized 1 percent per month forever.

4. If you are over 65 and have COBRA, you must apply for Part B within the first eight months of COBRA, or penalized.

5. Insurance agents must pass the AHIP test (90 percent score) in order to sell Medicare policies.

So when Grassley talks about the health reform bill being unconstitutional for requiring coverage, may I remind him of the laws he helped pass that have mandatory requirements.

We don't want to see the Top 10 Reasons Grassley won't vote for health reform - we want to see legislation that helps those of us under 65 be protected with similar provisions of Medicare coverage. As an insurance agent for more than 20 years, I have seen many changes in health insurance and am supporting health reform. We used to have specific riders for pre-existing conditions that, if you were not treated for the condition for five years, the rider could vanish. Now riders are not so specific and the rider is for the lifetime of the policy. Many people would like to retire but are not 65 and have pre-existing conditions that would not be covered under individual policies and so they are stuck in a Catch 22.

We want affordable coverage. I want Social Security office personnel to know the rules inside and out so misinformation does not confuse our citizens.

It is time Grassley starts working for us instead of trying scare tactics and misinformation as reasons not to have health reform. I work for the best interest of my clients, and I ask Grassley whose best interest is he really working for.

Kathy Rickertsen of Cedar Rapids is owner of Quill Insurance Consultants.