The Affordable Care Act And You

For the first time in generations, the US Congress has passed a bill reforming our nation's health care system. The Affordable Care Act will ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care and significantly reduce long-term health care costs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that it will provide coverage to 32 million more people, or more than 94% of Americans, while lowering health care costs over the long term. This historic legislation will reduce the deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years, with $1.2 trillion in additional deficit reduction in the following 10 years.

Key Provisions of Health Reform that Are Already In Effect

Small Business Tax Credits
Offers tax credits to small businesses to make employee coverage more affordable.  Tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums will be available to firms that choose to offer coverage.

No Discrimination Against Children with Pre-Existing Conditions
Prohibits new health plans in all markets plus grandfathered group health plans from denying coverage to children with pre‐existing conditions.

Help for Uninsured American with Pre-Existing Conditions until Exchange is Available (Interim High-Risk Pool)

Provides access to affordable insurance for Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary subsidized high-risk pool.

Ends Rescissions
Bans insurance companies from dropping people from coverage when they get sick.

Begins to Close the Medicare Part D Donut Hole
Provides a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who hit the donut hole in 2010.  Effective for calendar year 2010.  (Beginning in 2011, institutes a 50 percent discount on prescription drugs in the donut hole; also completely closes the donut hole by 2020.)

Free Preventive Care under Medicare
Eliminates co-payments for preventive services and exempts preventive services from deductibles under the Medicare program.

Extends Coverage for Young People up to 26th Birthday through Parents' Insurance
Requires new health plans and certain grandfathered plans to allow young people up to their 26th birthday to remain on their parents’ insurance policy, at the parents’ choice.

Help for Early Retirees
Creates a temporary re-insurance program (until the Exchanges are available) to help offset the costs of expensive premiums for employers and retirees for health benefits for retirees age 55-64.

Bans Lifetime Limits on Coverage
Prohibits health insurance companies from placing lifetime caps on coverage.

Bans Restrictive Annual Limits on Coverage
Tightly restricts the use of annual limits to ensure access to needed care in all new plans and grandfathered group health plans.  These tight restrictions will be defined by HHS.

Free Preventive Care under New Private Plans
Requires new private plans to cover preventive services with no co-payments and with preventive services being exempt from deductibles..

New, Independent Appeals Process
Ensures consumers in new plans have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal decisions by their health insurance plan.

Community Health Centers
Increases funding for Community Health Centers to allow for nearly a doubling of the number of patients seen by the centers over the next 5 years.

Increases the Number of Primary Care Practitioners
Provides new investments to increase the number of primary care practitioners, including doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.

Prohibits Discrimination Based on Salary
Prohibits new group health plans from establishing any eligibility rules for health care coverage that have the effect of discriminating in favor of higher wage employees.

Health Insurance Consumer Information
Provides aid to states in establishing offices of health insurance consumer assistance in order to help individuals with the filing of complaints and appeals.

LEARN HOW REFORM WORKS FOR YOU:

Use the interactive graphic below and click on the other links to see how you will benefit from Affordable Care Act:

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY 

• On February 25, 2010, House and Senate leaders of both parties met with President Obama at the Blair House to discuss moving forward with comprehensive health reform.
• On March 18, 2010, House Democrats unveiled legislation to improve the Senate-passed bill achieving our three key goals—affordability for the middle class, accessibility for all Americans, and accountability for the insurance industry.
• On March 21, 2010, the House passed the Affordable Care Act by a vote of 219 to 212—sending it to the President for his signature into law on March 23, 2010.
• The House also passed the Reconciliation bill to improve the Affordable Care Act by a vote of 220 to 211 on the 21st—which the Senate passed on March 25, 2010, with two small changes, and it returned to the House later that evening, passing by a vote of 220-207.
• The President signed the Reconciliation bill into law on March 30, 2010.

Bill Text:

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148)»

Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152)»

3 Page Summary of the final health insurance reform legislation»

Around the Web:

• Visit the Healthcare Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HealthReform »
• What health reform means for you on WhiteHouse.gov»
• HealthReform.gov»