Affordable Care Act Impact on PA

from the inbox:

President Obama’s health care law – the Affordable Care Act – gives hard working, middle-class families the security they deserve and includes a number of important provisions that help control health care costs.

 

One way the law helps hold down health care costs are new rules that generally require insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of your premium dollars on health care and quality improvements instead of other activities like advertising, executive bonuses, or overhead. If insurance companies fail to meet this standard, they must provide a rebate to their customers.

 

The law calls this the “medical loss ratio” rule, but it’s commonly known as the 80/20 rule.

 

Yesterday, a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 1,064,019 consumers in Pennsylvania will receive $104,533,779 in rebates solely because of the 80/20 rule.  This includes 21 percent of enrollees in the individual market in Pennsylvania for an average rebate of $243 per person.  Rebates to consumers will be delivered by August 1.  You can read the full report by visiting http://www.kff.org/healthreform/8305.cfm. 

 

And even if you don’t you receive a rebate, you may be benefitting from the new rule. Many insurance companies changed the way they do business or lowered their premiums to comply with the 80/20 rule.  

 

The 80/20 rule is just one way the Affordable Care Act is already making a difference. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act:

 

·         2.5 million more young adults have health insurance on their parent’s plan.

·         5.1 million people with Medicare saved an average of $635 on the cost of their prescription drugs. And everyone on Medicare can get preventive services like mammograms for free.

·         Insurance companies cannot raise your premiums by 10 percent or more with no accountability.

·         It’s illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition. And in 2014, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition will be illegal. 

 

While some want to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny your coverage or jack up your rates whenever and however they pleased without any accountability, we are committed to moving forward, implementing the Affordable Care Act and delivering the benefits of reform to the American people. For more information on the new health care law, go to www.HealthCare.gov.