Welcome to Affordable Care Act Home Page
In March 2010, President Obama signed comprehensive health reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), into law. The law makes preventive care,including family planning and related services, more accessible and affordable for many Americans. While some provisions of the law have already taken effect, many more provisions will be implemented in the coming years.
March 23,2010 - President Obama signs the Affordable Care Act
- Coverage for children with pre-existing conditions
- Extended Coverage for young adults under 26
- No more lifetime limits on coverage
- No more arbitrary cancellations or rescissions
- Right to appeal health plan decisions
- Consumer Assistance Program
- Small Business Tax Credit
- Temporary coverage for people with pre-existing conditions
- Community Health Centers
- Review of Health Plan Premium Increases
- Changes in Medicare Provider Rates
- Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Credit
- Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Commission
- Comparative Effectiveness Research
- Prevention and Public Health Fund
- Medicare Beneficiary Drug Rebate
- Coordinating Care for Dual Eligible (Medicare and Medicaid)
- Generic Biologic Drugs
- New Requirements on Non-profit Hospitals
- Medicaid Coverage for Childless Adults
- Reinsurance Program for Retiree Coverage
- Expansion of Drug Discount Program
- Consumer Protections in Insurance
- Coverage of Preventive Benefits
- New incentive for expansion of primary care doctors, and nurses
- Increase payments for rural health care professionals
- Require plans to cover preventive services without deductible, or co-pay
Improving Health Care Quality and Efficiency
- Prescription drug discounts for Seniors
- Free Medicare preventive services for Seniors
- Increase in Medicare Part D premiums based on Income
- Insurers subject to The 80/20 Rule (Medical Loss Ratio)
- Closing the Medicare Drug Coverage Gap
- Mandatory preventive care in network with no cost-sharing
- Non-discrimination provisions for insured plans
- Medicare Payments for Primary Care
- Medicare Prevention Benefits
- Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
- Medicare Premiums for Higher-Income Beneficiaries
- Medicare Advantage Payment Changes
- Chronic Disease Prevention in Medicaid
- Changes to Tax-Free Savings Accounts
- Medical Malpractice Grants
- Medicaid Payments for Hospital-Acquired Infections
- Medicaid Long-Term Care Services
Form W-2 reporting for health coverage
- Uniform Coverage Summaries for Consumers
- Employers to provide 60-day notice of material modifications
- Comparative effectiveness group health plan fees begin
- Coverage for additional women's preventive care services
- Accountable Care Organizations in Medicare
- Medicare Advantage Plan Payments
- Provide Medicare beneficiaries with primary care services in their home
- Medicare Provider Payment Changes
- Annual fees on the Pharmaceutical Industry
- Medicaid Payment Demonstration Projects
- Reduced Medicare Payments for Hospital Readmissions
- Encourage coordinated care, team of doctors to profit by providing care at lowercost
- Reduce paperwork and administrative costs by standardizing billing
- Require health plans to adopt rules for electronic exchange of health info.
October 1,2013 - Open Enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace Begins
- Employers notify employees about exchanges
- Change in Medicare retiree drug subsidy
- State Notification Regarding Exchanges
- Medicaid Coverage of Preventive Services with no patient cost sharing
- Increase in Medicare Payments for Primary Care services provided by doctors
- Itemized Deduction for Medical Expenses
- Flexible Spending Account Limits
- Medicare Tax Increase
- Medicaid reimbursement to increase to match Medicare rates for primary care
- Medicare Bundled Payment Pilot Program
January 1, 2014 - Coverage begins in the Health Insurance Marketplace
- Coverage for pre-existing conditions
- Savings on monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs
- Medicaid Expansion
- No Annual limits on coverage
- Expanded Small Business Tax Credit
- Presumptive Eligibility for Medicaid
- Individual Requirement to Have Insurance
- Health Insurance Exchanges
- Guaranteed Availability of Insurance
- Essential Health Benefits
- Multi-State Health Plans
- Temporary Reinsurance Program for Health Plans
- Medicare Advantage Plan Loss Ratios
- Wellness Programs in Insurance
- New Fees on Health Insurance sector
- Medicare Payments for Hospital-Acquired Infections
- Doctors can join together with small businesses for purchase of insurance
Marketplace Open Enrollment for 1st Reporting period: October 1st, through November 2nd
- 106,185 Americans have enrolled in a plan through the marketplace
- 975,407 Americans have made it through the process and have not yet selected a plan
- 502,466 Americans are positioned to have health coverage starting in 2014 through Medicaid/CHIP or a marketplace plan
States Participating/ Not Participating in Medicaid Expansion
Find more information on the map below:
