Supreme Court decision on national health reform law keeps California programs intact

The U.S. Supreme Court decision Thursday upholding the landmark health reform law will enable California to continue moving full speed to implement it, including setting up a new insurance marketplace for consumers and expanding Medi-Cal in 2014.

The ruling saves programs and consumer protections affecting millions of Californians and will bring billions of dollars in additional federal revenue to the state.

California, with 7 million uninsured residents, has been at the forefront of states seeking to put the reforms in place.

Now those programs will continue as the state gears up for additional changes that are to take place in 2014.

California programs that will survive include:

Low-Income Health Program: More than 400,000 low-income, mostly childless adults are receiving coverage through interim programs in 47 counties. These people are to be transferred to Medi-Cal when it expands in 2014.

Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: Nearly 11,000 people are covered under this plan set up for those whose health problems make it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain insurance. This program, funded through the national health reform law, will last until 2014 when insurers can no longer reject people based on their medical condition.

California Health Benefit Exchange: The state plans to open a marketplace in 2014 where many consumers can choose a health plan and determine whether they qualify for subsidies. The state has hired staff and is making the policy decisions to begin pre-enrolling people in October 2013.

Many Californians who have closely followed the decision were worried about losing consumer protections provided under the law. These will now continue, including:

Help for seniors who hit a Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known as "the doughnut hole."

The elimination of lifetime caps on health insurance benefits.

Free annual wellness visits for Medicare recipients and free preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies.

Insurance company rebates. These are required when insurers fail to spend at least 80 percent of premiums on medical care and quality improvement, rather than salaries and other administrative costs. Nearly 1.9 million Californians will receive $73.9 million in rebates this summer, averaging $65 per family.

A requirement that beginning in 2014, insurers accept all people, regardless of pre-existing health problems.

Young adults will be able to remain on their parents' health insurance policies up to age 26.

Insurers can no longer reject children under 18 because of their health problems.

New health insurance policies must cover maternity services beginning Sunday.

Insurers can no longer cancel people's coverage when they become ill because of unintentional misrepresentations on their applications.

Source: http://www.chicoer.com/ci_20962051/supreme-court-decision-national-health-reform-law-keeps?source=rss_viewed

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