On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law (more commonly known as the Health Reform bill).

Changes that went into effect September 23, 2010:

  • Plans are prohibited from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.
  • Plans are prohibited from dropping people when they get sick.
  • Lifetime caps on coverage are banned.
  • Annual limits on coverage are restricted.
  • New private plans must provide free, preventative care.
  • Easier access to appeals processes.
  • New employer plans are prohibited from creating eligibility requirements that discriminate in favor of higher earners.
  • Adult children can stay on parents' plan until they turn 26.

Changes that went into effect October 1, 2010:

  • New funding for states to help individuals file complaints or appeals against insurance companies.
  • Increased funding for state community health centers.

Helpful Resources About Health Reform:

Links:

  • Health Reform and You: An Opportunity to Have Your Questions Answered by Health Reform Experts- MDA's Public WebEx, September 29, 2010
  • Families USA and many partners have created materials describing these new protections, focusing on specific topics (such as annual limits and pre-existing conditions) to help individuals understand the big picture.
  • The Kaiser Family Foundation includes information on health care issues, including a site focused specifically on the implementation of health care reform.
  • MDA’s Quest magazine article called Health Care Changes Coming discusses the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its implications for people with neuromuscular diseases.
  • The Departments of Health & Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Treasury issued interim final regulations on July 14, 2010, requiring new plans and issuers to cover certain preventive services without any cost sharing for the enrollee when delivered by in-network providers. This website provides links to the items and services that must be covered under this interim final regulation.
  • Healthcare.gov is a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, where information on insurance options, prevention, quality care and the new law can be found.

Please be sure to share your experiences on myMDA or via e-mail to advocacy@mdausa.org so we can continue to monitor the law’s impact and continue to be an effective voice for our community.