New Health Care Reform Provisions Kick In

Statement

Dear Friends,

This month marks six months since President Obama signed comprehensive health care reform into law through the Affordable Care Act. This is a very important milestone because some of the key consumer protections in the law--also known as the Patients Bill of Rights--start to kick in for individuals and families.

Thanks to this first phase of health care reform, some of the insurance industry's most egregious abuses will end and some of the most family-friendly provisions will begin. And additional provisions, including the creation of state-based Exchanges that will provide health care coverage to millions of currently uninsured Americans, will be phased in through 2014.

For plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010, privately-insured Americans will have the following protections:

* Children under age 19 cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition. Read more here.
* A dependent child can stay on his or her parents' health policy until turning 26 years old. Read more here.
* Rescissions end, meaning insurance companies cannot cancel your policy if you become sick. Read more here.
* Health insurers cannot put a lifetime limit on health coverage. Read more here.
* Health plans' annual limits begin phasing out. In 2010, annual limits cannot be lower than $750,000 and, by 2014, all annual limits are prohibited. Read more here.

As of September 23, 2010, consumers purchasing new plans will have the following additional protections:

* Greater choice of doctors -- you can choose a pediatrician as a primary care doctor for your child, for example, and you will not be required to get a referral to see an OB-GYN. Read more here.
* Recommended preventive services, such as mammograms, colonoscopies and prenatal care, will be available without deductibles or co-payments. Read more here.
* Guaranteed access to an independent review board to challenge insurance company denials of claims. Read more here.
* Access to emergency services without having to pay more if you need to use an out-of-network provider. Read more here.

Health care reform going forward

I was very involved in the crafting and passage of comprehensive health care reform--I authored provisions in the law to require the review of insurance company premiums, nursing home quality protections, and initiatives to increase the number of well-trained health care providers. And I intend to continue strengthening and improving upon the foundation we set with passage of health care reform.

Stopping unreasonable premium hikes

I've introduced legislation (the Health Insurance Rate Authority Act of 2010, H.R. 4757) to address the burdensome double-digit rate increases that some big health insurers are imposing on consumers. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has introduced a companion bill in the Senate. The bill would give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to reject or change unreasonable rate increases in states, like Illinois, that don't have that authority.

A public option

I am also an original cosponsor of the Public Option Act, H.R. 5808, which would compete with private insurance plans in the Exchanges. According to an analysis by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill would save $68 billion from 2014 (the first year it would be available) through 2020. CBO also estimates that the public option would have, on average, premiums 5 - 7 % lower than private plans in the Exchanges.

For more information on health care reform

Healthcare.gov is a fantastic resource for answers to your questions about health care reform and includes help finding coverage options, prevention tips and an interactive timeline of what is changing in the law and when.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
Member of Congress

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