Healthcare Reform Timeline

Now that it's been a year since the Affordable Care Act Coverage was passed here a timeline of what changes occurred last year and what will happen in the future.

Effective 2010
Expands dependent coverage to include adult children until age 26.

Eliminates lifetime benefits caps on basic health benefits and restricts annual caps.

Keeps plans and insurers from charging more for emergency services that are obtained out of a plan network.

Requires plans to cover preventive services without cost to members.


Effective 2011
Requires plans to spend at least 85% of large group revenue and 80% of individual and small group revenue on health care and quality improvement.

Creates a system for reviewing "unreasonable" rate increases.


Effective 2013
Limits deductibility of health insurance company executive compensation.


Effective 2014
Creates a health insurance exchange distribution system

Creates a health insurance purchase subsidy tax credit

Requires health insures to sell coverage on a guaranteed issue, mostly community-rated basis.

Requires states to make Medicaid available to individual and families with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level.

Anniversary

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of when President Obama signed the Healthcare Reform Act into a law. Changes have taken place in the last year with more to come until the transition is complete in 2014. While popular opinion at first was supportive of the law lately more and more individuals are questioning if this law is really beneficial.

House GOP Votes to Defund Healthcare Law

According to the NAHU newsletter the House voted on Friday, February 18th, to block funding for the healthcare law in several ways. Republicans charged the law is an unconstitutional government takeover of healthcare and a budget-buster, while Democrats blasted attempts to eliminate consumer protections, such as allowing individuals with pre-existing conditions access to health coverage. President Obama announced he 'strongly opposes' it before the new amendments even passed. In fact, the Administration stated, "If the president is presented with a bill that undermines critical priorities or national security through funding levels or restrictions, contains earmarks, or curtails the drivers of long-term economic growth and job creation while continuing to burden future generations with deficits, the president will veto the bill."

Obamacare

A federal judge yesterday ruled that the health care reform is unconstitutional. The judge said that the federal governement cannot require Americans to buy health insurance. 26 states have joined together to fight the law. In December a federal judge in Virgina issued a similiar rulling although two other federal judges have upheld the law. Many expect the fight to reach the Supreme Court.

New Employee

The Insurance Center would like to welcome Candice Burke to our agency. Candice has worked in insurance before and is a great addition to The Insurance Center. She enjoys snowbarding and golfing and is a huge Steelers fan and looking very much toward the Steelers winning the Superbowl this year!

House Repeals Health Reform Law, but Senate Will Not Follow Suit

According to NAIFA on January 19 the GOP-controlled House of Representatives approved H.R.2, the bill to repeal the health reform bill enacted into law last March. The repeal vote was followed on January 20 by a vote on a resolution (H.Res.9) to instruct the House committees of jurisdiction to craft replacement health reform legislation.
It is widely expected—by supporters of H.R.2 as well as by opponents—that the Democratic-controlled Senate will not even consider H.R.2. And should the bill somehow unexpectedly get through the Senate, President Obama on January 6 issued a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) stating he would veto any legislation that would repeal the PPACA.
House and Senate GOP lawmakers say that the largely symbolic House vote on H.R.2 is important as a prelude to the party’s real strategy, which is to dismantle the PPACA piece by piece.
It is not yet clear what kind of bill the House GOP will offer as an alternative to the PPACA. However, certain elements are likely. They include authority for interstate sales of health insurance, tort reform, and expansion of self-directed health plans - high deductible health plans (HDHPs) in conjunction with health savings accounts (HSAs). House GOP health reform legislation is also likely to include reenactment of some of the more popular insurance reforms contained in the PPACA—for example, limits if not outright bans on use of preexisting conditions, and/or requiring health plans to allow plan participants to insure their children up to age 26.

Happy Thanksgiving!