Health Care Reform is upon us and it is a major goal of Health Benefits US to make sure you understand the Affordable Care Act and what it has to offer. Below is a timeline of the new law change with the dates of what's changing and when.
Affordable Care Act Timeline:
2010
- The Affordable Care Act Becomes Law – March 23, 2010
- Providing Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credits – Effective January 1, 2010
- Allowing States to Cover More People on Medicaid – Effective April 1, 2010
- Relief for 4 Million Seniors Who Hit the Medicare Prescription Drug "Donut Hole" – First checks mailed June, 2010
- Cracking Down on Health Care Fraud – Many provisions effective now
- Expanding Coverage for Early Retirees – Applications for employers available June 1, 2010
- Providing Access to Insurance for Uninsured Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions – National program established July 1, 2010
- Putting Information Online – Effective July 1, 2010
- Extending Coverage for Young Adults – Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
- Providing Free Preventive Care - Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
- Prohibiting Insurance Companies from Rescinding Coverage - Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
- Appealing Insurance Company Decisions – Effective for new plans beginning on or after September 23, 2010
- Eliminating Lifetime Limits on Insurance Coverage - Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
- Regulating Annual Limits on Insurance Coverage - Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010
- Prohibiting Denying Coverage of Children Based on Pre-Existing Conditions - Effective for health plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010 for new plans and existing group plans
- Holding Insurance Companies Accountable for Unreasonable Rate Hikes – Grants will be awarded beginning in 2010
- Rebuilding the Primary Care Workforce – Effective 2010
- Establishing Consumer Assistance Programs in the States – Grants awarded October 2010
- Preventing Disease and Illness – Funding begins in 2010
- Strengthening Community Health Centers – Effective 2010
- Payments for Rural Health Care Providers – Effective 2010
2011
- Prescription Drug Discounts – Effective January 1, 2011
- Free Preventive Care for Seniors – Effective January 1, 2011
- Bringing Down Health Care Premiums – Effective January 1, 2011
- Addressing Overpayments to Big Insurance Companies and Strengthening Medicare Advantage - Effective January 1, 2011
- Improving Health Care Quality and Efficiency - Effective January 1, 2011
- Improving Care for Seniors After They Leave the Hospital - Effective January 1, 2011
- New Innovations to Bring Down Costs – Funding becomes available October 1, 2011
- Increasing Access to Services at Home and in the Community – Effective October 1, 2011
2012
- Encouraging Integrated Health Systems - Effective January 1, 2012
- Understanding and Fighting Health Disparities – Effective March, 2012
- Providing New, Voluntary Options for Long-Term Care Insurance – Benefit plan October 1, 2012
- Reducing Paperwork and Administrative Costs – First regulation effective October 1, 2012
- Linking Payment to Quality Outcomes – Effective for payments for discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2012
2013
- Improving Preventive Health Coverage – Effective January 1, 2013
- Increasing Medicaid Payments for Primary Care Doctors -Effective January 1, 2013
- Expanded Authority to Bundle Payments - Effective January 1, 2013
- Additional Funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – Effective October 1, 2013
2014
- Establishing Affordable Insurance Exchanges - Effective January 1, 2014
- Promoting Individual Responsibility - Effective January 1, 2014
- Ensuring Free Choice - Effective January 1, 2014
- Increasing Access to Medicaid - Effective January 1, 2014
- Makes Care More Affordable - Effective January 1, 2014
- Ensuring Coverage for Individuals Participating in Clinical Trials - Effective January 1, 2014
- Eliminating Annual Limits on Insurance Coverage - Effective January 1, 2014
- No Discrimination Due to Pre-Existing Conditions or Gender -Effective January 1, 2014
- Increasing Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credit - Effective January 1, 2014
2015
- Paying Physicians Based on Value Not Volume - Effective January 1, 2015
For the complete timeline along with a detailed description of each change, please refer to HealthCare.gov |