Health Care Blog
Delivering on the Affordable Care Act: Marketplace Premiums Lower than Expected
Posted by on September 25, 2013 at 6:00 AM EDT
At the center of the Affordable Care Act is the premise that we need to make health care more affordable and accessible for more Americans, and a new report released today demonstrates just how affordable insurance will be. The report, released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), finds that in state after state, affordable options will be available through the Health Insurance Marketplace in 2014.
Nearly all eligible uninsured Americans (about 95%) live in states with average premiums below earlier projections. And nearly all consumers (about 95%) will have a choice of health insurance companies, each of which offers a number of different plans. Competition and transparency are driving a new set of affordable options for consumers -- it is how the law was designed. This new report shows the real impact it could have – a working a family with income of $50,000 could pay less than $100 per month for the lowest bronze plan, after tax credits.
The Marketplace will be run in partnership with States or fully by the HHS in 36 states. In these states, on average, consumers will have a choice of 53 health plans (bronze, silver, gold, and platinum plans). Young adults will have the additional option of low-cost catastrophic or youth plans. And, about one in four of these insurance companies are newly offering plans in the individual market, a sign of healthy competition.
Learn more about Health CareDiagnosed with Cancer at Age 23
Posted by on September 24, 2013 at 10:49 AM EDTIt is October of 2010. I am getting ready to graduate from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. Even more exciting for me, I am elected to be part of the Homecoming Court for my outstanding involvement and dedication to our university and local community and for my exemplary character. To top off an incredible month, I received a job offer from one of the four big accounting firms. Everything was great. I never thought my life would take such a turn.
A year later, I am finishing a Masters degree in taxation and working part time at the accounting firm when I feel pain in my left ankle. I visit several doctors who tell me the pain came from running and/or working out. Then, on April 26, 2012, my life changed. I received a diagnosis of Ewings Sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Instead of tendonitis from running, the pain I felt was a cancerous tumor in my left ankle that had spread to various parts of my body.
At the time of my diagnosis, a student a month away from graduation, I was uninsured. For a while I feared the worst. I pictured myself dying at home, because I didn’t have the money to afford the very expensive treatment I needed. At this moment in my young life, I felt true desperation. I wanted to live and continue to give back to my community, which always made me happy, but I didn’t even know what to do to take care of my health and survive.
It was a blessing when I found out about the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, or PCIP through the Affordable Care Act because it was an answer to my prayers and desperation. PCIP is a program designed to provide affordable health coverage for people like me who were otherwise locked out of the private insurance system. It also serves as a bridge to 2014, when insurance companies are prohibited from refusing to sell coverage based on someone’s pre-existing condition.
Shortly after I learned about this special plan and gained health insurance, I began my chemotherapy treatments. Now, it’s been a little over a year since my diagnosis. I’m still here and still fighting for my life. I hope to soon be in full recovery, to return to the person I love to be, one that gets great satisfaction from helping others.
The Affordable Care Act and the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance program help me access medical coverage when I need it. So I don’t have to worry if I have an injury, or an illness, or an accident, that my finances won’t be turned upside down by health care costs.
Maria Gomez is a graduate from Arizona State University and a federal tax associate at an international accounting firm. She is our first guest blogger for our Hispanic Heritage Month series on Securing Our Future: Access to Quality Health Coverage.
To learn more about the Affordable Care Act, visit Healthcare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #OurSalud
Learn more about Health CareCountdown to Affordable Health Care
Posted by on September 23, 2013 at 4:15 PM EDT
Ed. Note: This is cross-posted from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. You can see the original post here.
Today we’ve reached yet another milestone on the road to affordable health care: 100 days to coverage.
For years, millions of Americans have been denied the security and peace of mind of having health insurance. Too many have been priced out, locked out, or dumped out by insurance companies.
But thanks to the Affordable Care Act, all of that is changing. January 1, 2014 -- 100 days from today --marks a New Day, when coverage will be more accessible and affordable. On that day, coverage begins for those who signed up in the Health Insurance Marketplace by December 15, 2013.
The Marketplace is a new, simpler way to purchase health insurance –all in one place. You can go online to find and compare options, see if you qualify for lower costs, and select coverage that meets your needs and budget.
Here’s what else is happening on January 1:
- Health insurance plans can't refuse to cover you or charge you more just because you have a pre-existing health condition, such as diabetes or asthma.
- More people than ever will qualify for Medicaid.
- Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to limit lifetime coverage for essential health benefits.
- The small business tax credit expands.
Of course, the New Year isn’t the only important date coming up. October 1, 2013, marks the beginning of an intense six-month long open enrollment and public education campaign. You can enroll through the end of March.
Learn more about Health CarePresident Obama and President Clinton Talk Health Care at the Clinton Global Initiative
Posted by on September 23, 2013 at 3:05 PM EDTOn Tuesday, September 24, President Obama will join former President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting for a conversation about the benefits and future of health care reform in America, and access to health care around the globe.
Update: This event has concluded. You can watch the full video below.
For more information:
- Learn more about the Health Insurance Marketplace, launching October 1.
Learn more about Health CareStronger Small Businesses For A Stronger Economy
Posted by on September 20, 2013 at 3:26 PM EDTI was joined yesterday by members of the Small Business Majority Network Council at the White House to discuss the President’s plans to grow the economy, support small businesses, and back the entrepreneurial spirit that makes America great.
Without question, it has been the resilience and creativity of American small business owners which has sparked and sustained our recovery from the worst economic crisis since the great depression.They have helped us achieve 40 straight months of job growth, and created the majority of the 7.2 million American jobs generated in that timeframe.
We were joined for the second half of the meeting by Chris Jennings, the President’s advisor on health reform, who provided insight on how businesses and their employees can take advantage of expanded coverage options and new benefits made available under ObamaCare. We also talked through the nuts and bolts of Open Enrollment, which begins in October and goes through March and will help millions of uninsured Americans afford the coverage they need.
The President’s commitment to small business has been front and center since he took office. He has enacted 18 small business tax cuts. He has battled back the forces of the recession to dramatically expand access to capital. And he has streamlined processes to encourage more government contracting to small businesses.
The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy is, and always has been, inextricably linked to the success of our small businesses. The men and women who get up every day, flip signs from closed to open, and make our country run.This is who we are, and this is who we must continue to fight for.
To learn more about the President’s support for small businesses visit: http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/economy/business/small-business.
Online and Open Source: The Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov
Posted by on September 19, 2013 at 2:00 PM EDTOn October 1, Americans will have a new way to find affordable health insurance: the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Whether you need coverage or have insurance already and want to look at other options, you’ll be able to use the Marketplace to see all your options side-by-side, find out if you qualify for lower costs and enroll in a plan that fits your needs and your budgets – all online at healthcare.gov.
You can learn more right now about the Marketplace visiting healthcare.gov, or watch this episode of Tech Feed News featuring Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services, to find out more about the process of building a straightforward and user-friendly online health care marketplace.
Learn more about Health Care
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