Healthcare Reform
Healthcare reform is the term used when discussing major health policy creation or changes that ultimately affect a patient’s experience within the medical arena. In recent years this term is primarily used when referencing the landmark legislation of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), signed on March 23, 2010 and becoming law on July 1, 2010.
Patient Advocate Foundation stays abreast of all current and upcoming elements associated with the staggered implementation of the PPACA, and works to ensure patients, providers and all stakeholders involved in healthcare delivery are informed.
About the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
This legislation, intending to introduce sweeping reform to the US health care system, sought to increase coverage while implementing measures to control costs for consumers.
Key features of the law include:
- No more pre-existing condition denials for children (For adults in 2014)
- No more annual or lifetime dollar limits on insurance coverage
- Insurance companies cannot drop your coverage when you get sick
- No more coverage denials without patients being allowed to appeal
- 80 percent of what insurance companies collect now has to go toward providing care
- Reduced prescription drug costs in Medicare's Donut Hole
- Medicaid coverage expanded up to 133% of the Federal Poverty Level in participating states
- Coverage for young adults on their parents plans up to the age of 27
- Incentives for medical facilities to adopt electronic health records to reduce medical error
- Access to free preventative care such as screenings and annual checkups
- Coverage assistance for those who choose to retire early
- Provisions to detect waste, fraud, and abuse within the system, increase care coordination, review large premium increases by insurers, and incentivize innovation
- Insurance tax credits for individuals with incomes between 100-400% of the Federal Poverty Level to help pay for health care premiums (starting in 2014)
- Tax credits to help small businesses afford insurance for their employees
- Health insurance exchanges (operational in 2014)
Read the actual text of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act law
Healthcare.gov is the official governmental website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, presenting all health reform details in a user-friendly manner.
KLN Kaiser Health News Daily news reports on healthcare reform. Features both national and state level developments.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-partisan source of facts, information and analysis for the healthcare community.
- Employer Responsibility Under the Affordable Care Act
- Subsidy Calculator Online tool that helps you determine the amount of premium assistance you are eligible for under Healthcare Reform
- State Tracker for Healthcare Exchanges - Keep up with the decisions made within your state in regards to healthcare marketplaces
- State Tracker for Essential Health Benefits -- Keep up with the decisions made within your state as the benchmarks for all health insurance plans sold in the exchanges are finalized.
- Understanding the Medicaid Expansion and Implications
As a corollary organization to PAF, the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) works to address and participate in ongoing discussions surrounding current and future healthcare reform provisions. NPAF regularly works with state and federal legislative groups to enact smart policy that benefits patients in their healthcare journey.
- Education Center on Healthcare Reform
- The Impact of the Supreme Court's Decision - Impact Statement
- Issue Brief: - Essential Health Benefits and Patient Centricity
- Issue Brief: - Examining State Flexibility in Defining Essential Health Benefits and Patient Ability to Secure Meaningful and Affordable Health Insurance Coverage
- Cancer Insurance Checklist: A guide to help evaluate plans as you shop for insurance on your state Marketplace or Exchange. Perfect for those that have cancer, have a history of cancer, or are risk for cancer.
Coverage counts is an online resource that highlights the ongoing Medicaid expansion associated with the PPACA law and presents information on the positive impacts this expansion will have on a state's health and its economy.
- The financial impact of the Medicaid Expansion
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s mission is to improve the health and health care of all Americans.
- Health Insurance Enrollment Topic Area explores options for coverage through health insurance marketplaces
- RWJF Data Hub - Health Statistics you can Visualize, customize and share
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable population. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues.
- Health Reform Resource Center
Patient Advocate Foundation's professional case managers can assist you with any questions you have about your current insurance policy, or how healthcare reform will affect your life. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to us for one-on-one assistance.