Kenyon Connects

I recently received an email from the President’s office that talked about the changes we, as Americans, can expect to see from the healthcare reform legislation signed into law on March 23, 2010. This important legislation, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), not only impacts our options for insurance, these new guidelines go further than ever to support your clients as they strive to receive full coverage – and full payment – from their insurance providers.

I want to share with you some of the important points outlined in the email I received. There are a number of ways PPACA improves how insurance will be delivered in the future, including:

• Insurance companies can no longer cancel your policy if you get sick. Right now, insurance companies can retroactively cancel a policy if you become ill or if you or your employer made an unintentional mistake on your paperwork. The new law puts a stop to this practice.

• Insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. This went into effect in early September and from now on, discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions will be banned—a protection that, thankfully, will be extended to all Americans in 2014.

• Insurance companies can no longer set lifetime limits on insurance policies issued or renewed after Sept. 23, 2010. Without the new law, insurance companies have taken away coverage at the very moment when patients have needed it most. More than 100 million Americans have health coverage that imposes lifetime limits on care. PPACA ends this practice.

• Over the next three years, annual dollar limits on coverage will be phased out. Even more aggressive than lifetime limits, the annual dollar limit on what an insurance company will pay for your health care has traditionally been defined by the companies themselves. For individuals whose medical costs hit these annual limits, the consequences can be devastating. The new law will ensure everyone receives the care they need and deserve – without annual dollar limits coming into play.

• Once the law is fully in place, it will allow you to designate any available participating primary care doctor as your provider. You will be able to keep the primary care doctor or pediatrician you choose and see an OB-GYN without a referral.

• Insurance companies will no longer be able to prevent you from receiving emergency care or charge you more if you are out of network. You’ll be able to get emergency care at a hospital outside of your plan’s network without facing higher co-pays or deductibles or having to fight to get approval first.

This fall, we have begun to see the effects of this “Patient’s Bill of Rights” – but the benefits for individuals and families do not stop there. Over the course of the next several years, this historic law will make healthcare more affordable, hold insurers accountable, and finally, give all Americans the coverage they deserve.

Category: Ginny's Blog, Healthcare Reform