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“Without the Affordable Care Act, I simply could not have retired at 62.”

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Donald L., Palm Coast, FL

Health Care Blog

  • Weekly Wrap Up: Healthy Anniversary!

    Posted by Kori Schulman on March 25, 2011 at 6:47 PM EDT

    Your quick look at the week that was on WhiteHouse.gov

    Protecting Civilians in Libya: As U.S. forces participate in a U.N. coalition to establish a no-fly zone over Libya, President Obama spoke on the humanitarian importance of our mission in North Africa. He also answered questions from the media during press conferences in Chile and El Salvador.

    President Obama Confers With Tom Donilon, Bill Daley, and Ben Rhodes

    President Barack Obama confers with National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, right, Chief of Staff Bill Daley, left, and Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, following a conference call on Libya with his national security team, in San Salvador, El Salvador, March 23, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

    The Affordable Care Act Turns One: On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In the 12 months since, millions of Americans have benefited from improvements to the American health care system. WhiteHouse.gov had a whole week of coverage:

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    Learn more about Defense, Disabilities, Economy, Education, Foreign Policy, Health Care, Homeland Security, Rural, Seniors and Social Security, Technology, Veterans, Women, Additional Issues

  • Better Benefits, Better Health for Young Adults

    Posted by Mayra Alvarez on March 25, 2011 at 9:20 AM EDT

    A year ago, young adults were one of the most vulnerable groups of Americans in the health insurance market. However, since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, many of you can now stay on your parent’s family plan until you turn 26. It doesn’t matter whether you’re married, living with your parents, in school, or financially independent. This is a huge improvement that is freeing people to make decisions about their education, their careers, and their lives without being hemmed in by outdated insurance rules.

    Before President Obama signed the health law, you typically had to go off your parent’s plan at 19 or whenever you left school. This put many young people in a tight spot, especially if they were living with a pre-existing condition like cancer, diabetes, or asthma—since it was very hard to get quality, affordable health insurance. Now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the class of 2011 will be the first to graduate with this new option on the books. Already, nearly 1.2 million young Americans will be able to gain insurance coverage this year as a result. This means as you start your career, you can pursue the jobs or opportunities that are best for you without worrying about health insurance.  

    Check out our facebook page on this to learn more, or watch this video with step-by-step instructions on how to access this important benefit.

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    Learn more about Economy, Health Care, Working Families

  • Celebrating the One Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

    Posted by Valerie Jarrett on March 24, 2011 at 11:57 AM EDT

    This week, we’re celebrating the one year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, a historic advancement for the health care of women and their families.  Without this historic piece of legislation, insurance companies could continue to deny coverage to women due to pre-existing conditions, such as cancer and pregnancy.  Women could continue to be charged more than men for insurance, simply because of their gender.  And, too many women and families could continue to go without the affordable, quality care they deserved.  Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, that’s all changing.

    Under the law, insurance companies are already banned from denying coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition.  In 2014, it will be illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against anyone with a pre-existing condition. 

    As a single mom of a twenty-five year old daughter, I understand the uncertainty that many families face as their children try to enter the workforce during these tough economic times.  Before the Affordable Care Act, children could be left uninsured, as soon as they graduated from college, while searching for work.  Under the Act’s new provisions, children can stay on their parents’ heath care plans until they turn twenty-six.  This rule applies in almost all cases, regardless of whether your child is living at home, enrolled in school, or a married college graduate.

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    Learn more about Health Care, Women

  • Better Benefits, Better Health for Women

    Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on March 24, 2011 at 9:41 AM EDT

    The Affordable Care Act is bringing much needed changes to the insurance market for women. For too long, too many women could not get the affordable, high quality coverage they deserved. Some insurance companies considered simply being a woman a “pre-existing condition” and charged more or covered less.  Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, that’s all changing and women and their families are eligible for important new benefits that will ensure they have access to better care at a lower cost.

    Women with insurance will benefit from the law. If you are in a new insurance plan, you can choose the primary care doctor or OB-GYN in your insurer’s network without a referral.  Go to your insurer’s website or call the customer service number to find out which providers are in your network.

    Recommended preventive services, like mammograms and flu shots, are now available at no out-of-pocket costs to you, if you are in a new insurance plan. This means that your insurance company cannot charge you a deductible or copays.  Click here to find a list of preventive services that will be covered.

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    Learn more about Health Care, Women

  • One Year of the Affordable Care Act: We’ve Come a Long Way

    Posted by Nancy-Ann DeParle on March 23, 2011 at 12:51 PM EDT

    When President Obama signed the health reform law, the Affordable Care Act, on March 23, 2010, it was a moment that was decades in the making. Presidents from both parties had attempted to reform our health care system and as President Obama said, he wasn’t the first President to try and pass health reform, but he was determined to be the last.

    This year, Vice President Biden has recorded a new video looking at the work to pass reform and how the law is already helping the American people.

    Includes Video
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    Learn more about Economy, Health Care, Seniors and Social Security

  • One Year Later: Better Benefits, Better Health

    Posted by Richard Sorian on March 23, 2011 at 9:23 AM EDT

    Ed. note: This was originally posted on the HealthCare.gov blog.

    A year ago today, President Obama signed the landmark Affordable Care Act into law.  In just one year, the law has already given Americans more freedom and control over their health care choices and insurance companies no longer call all the shots. Now, you and your family may be eligible for important new benefits that will ensure you get the care you need at a more reasonable cost.

    Here are some of the benefits you’ll get as a result of the new law:

    New Coverage Choices

    • Most young adults can stay on their parent’s family plan until they turn 26.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re married, living with your parents, in school, or financially independent.  For more information on how to stay insured, call the customer service number for your parent’s insurer and explain your situation. Or visit Facebook.gov/YoungAdultCoverage to learn more.
    • Most health plans cannot deny coverage to children under age 19 because of pre-existing conditions like cancer or cerebral palsy.
    • If you have been uninsured because of a pre-existing condition, you may be eligible to join the more than 12,000 Americans insured through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.  To find out about plans available in your State, visit: www.pcip.gov. 

    New Benefits if You Have Insurance

    • If you are in a new insurance plan, insurance companies cannot charge you a deductible or copays for recommended preventive services, like mammograms, flu shots and other immunizations.  Click here to find a list of preventive services that will be covered without cost-sharing.
    • Insurance companies are prohibited from capping the dollar amount of care you can receive in a lifetime, or cancelling your coverage due to a mistake on your application when you get sick.

    New Benefits for People with Medicare

    • Seniors and other people with Medicare can get many preventive services and an annual wellness visit with no deductible, coinsurance, or co-payment. More than 150,000 seniors and individuals with disabilities with Medicare have received an annual wellness visit in the first two months of the year.
    • Seniors and others who are in the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known as the donut hole now receive a 50% discount on covered brand name prescription drugs and 7 percent off prices for generic drugs. In 2010, nearly 4 million seniors and individuals with disabilities with Medicare received a one-time $250 rebate check to help with high prescription drugs costs.

    This is only the beginning of a transformation of our health care system that puts you in the driver's seat. For more information on how you can get these benefits, visit our Better Benefits, Better Health Initiative.

    Richard Sorian is Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services.

    Learn more about Economy, Health Care, Seniors and Social Security

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