"Already Starting to See the Benefits of Health Reform"

The Affordable Care Act includes a number of important provisions that will put you – not the insurance companies – in control of your health care.  And as the New York Times points out today, the new law is already prompting an end to some of the worst insurance company practices. The Times notes:

Americans are already starting to see the benefits of health care reform. The new law requires health insurance companies — starting in September — to end their most indefensible practice: rescinding coverage after a policyholder gets sick. In recent days insurers and their trade association have rushed to announce that they will end rescissions immediately.

That is very good news for the thousands of people who each year pay their premiums but lose their coverage just when they are likely to run up big medical bills.

The announcement regarding rescissions was yet another piece of good news for consumers. In recent week, insurers have been responding to the new law. The Times writes:

This follows a recent agreement by many companies to start letting dependents stay on their parents’ policies until age 26, which isn’t required until September. Under pressure from the White House, the industry has also agreed to cover children with pre-existing medical conditions as soon as new rules are issued.

Many of the other major provisions of reform don’t kick in until 2014, but it is already changing the behavior of insurers. That means more security for many Americans who might otherwise find insurance unaffordable or unavailable.

Read the whole editorial here.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director