New Health Care Provisions Now in Effect
| Wednesday, October 6th, 2010 |
New Health Care Provisions Now in Effect
This fall, several important provisions of the Affordable Care Act became effective. These reforms, intended to increase access to and quality of health care, include the following (each provision is followed by additional resources, such as Bazelon Center analyses and comments regarding relevant regulations):
Young adults are now able to remain on their parents' insurance plan until age 26. Insurance reform analysis.
Insurers are now prohibited from denying coverage to children under the age of 19 with pre-existing conditions. Insurance reform analysis; Patient protections comments.
Insurance companies are no longer able to establish limits on the dollar amount of health benefits that they will cover in a year or over an individual's lifetime. Restrictions are also placed on an insurer's use of annual coverage limits until they are eliminated in 2014. Insurance reform analysis; patient protections comments.
States now have new options for the provision of home- and community-based services under section 1915 (i) of Medicaid. Medicaid analysis; 1915 (i) State Medicaid Director Letter
Insurers are prevented from rescinding coverage if you get sick and have previously made an unintentional mistake on your application. Patient protections comments; Insurance reform analysis.
If you join a new plan:
You are guaranteed the right to appeal insurance company decisions on to an independent third party. Appeals comments.
You have the right to choose your own doctor in your insurance network. Patient protections comments.
Your insurer is banned from charging more for emergency services received from a provider outside of your insurance network. Patient protections comments.
You have the right to receive a number of preventive services without cost-sharing, including depression and alcohol screening and regular behavioral assessments for children. Preventive services comments; Insurance reform analysis.
For more information, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has established a new website that will connect consumers to new information and resources, helping them gain access to quality, affordable health care coverage. Consumers can obtain information about options tailored to their unique circumstances and local community. You can also follow breaking health care information on healthcare.gov's Facebook page.
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The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is the leading national legal-advocacy organization representing people with mental disabilities. It promotes laws and policies that can enable people with psychiatric or developmental disabilities to exercise their life choices and access the resources they need to participate fully in their communities. |
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