Health care reform already helping Americans
Six months after Congress passed and the president signed the new health reform law, Americans are already seeing the benefits.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, thousands who had been shut out of the health insurance market are now getting coverage through new pre-existing condition insurance plans. More than a million seniors and people with disabilities who have fallen into the so-called Medicare prescription-drug donut hole have received $250 checks to help them buy medications. And many small businesses are getting help too — tax credits to make it easier for them to provide coverage to workers. In Missouri, 94,300 small businesses may be eligible.
Today and in the months ahead, our focus is on implementing these solutions effectively, and getting the benefits to the people who need them.
We have rolled out powerful new resources for consumers like the popular website, HealthCare.gov, where, for the first time, you can visit a single website that will tell you all your health insurance options. Starting in October, the website will contain basic pricing information, so you’ll have the information you need to make the right decisions.
Prevention must be the cornerstone of any effort to help people stay well, live healthier lives, and reduce health care costs. So Medicare will now cover the entire cost of seniors’ annual wellness visit with their physician. The law protects guaranteed Medicare benefits while eliminating co-pays for many recommended preventive services like screenings for colon or breast cancer.
We have also already begun training more doctors, nurses, and other primary care providers, so all Americans can see a health care provider when they or their families need care. And by investing in community health centers we will nearly double the number of patients they serve from 20 million a year to 40 million.
This month is reason for celebration as patients are going to be in charge of their care. The next time your coverage renews:
Insurers will no longer be able to cancel your policy because you made a minor mistake on an application.
Insurance firms will no longer be able to place lifetime dollar limits on your benefits that result in people losing insurance when they need it most — in the middle of a crisis.
In many cases, insurers will no longer be able to refuse to sell you a policy to cover your child because she was born with asthma or some other pre-existing medical condition.
Insurance companies, in many cases, will no longer be allowed to refuse to pay a doctor or hospital bill without giving you the chance to appeal to a group of outside experts.
These reforms serve as a bridge until 2014, when more important benefits kick in. New health insurance Exchanges will let individuals and small businesses purchase affordable insurance — the same coverage as Members of Congress — regardless of their health status.
The new law is not perfect. But it is already making a huge difference and we’re working with governors, state health officials, community leaders, health care providers and patient advocates to implement it effectively and, when we can, improve it.
With the Affordable Care Act and the new protections that begin to take effect today, Americans across the country can already see a better health care future ahead. There’s a lot to learn about the act and its benefits. As many of the law’s new protections take effect, I encourage you to go to healthcare.gov to learn more about them and find the best options.
Judy Baker is director of Region 7 of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She lives in Columbia.
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