Since the Senate released the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a lot of people have been asking, "what benefits do I get immediately?" To answer that question, here is an overview of health insurance market reforms that will bring immediate benefits to millions of Americans, including those who currently have coverage:
- Access to affordable coverage for the uninsured with pre-existing conditions
- Re-insurance for retiree health benefit plans
- Closes the coverage gap in the Medicare (Part D) Drug Benefit
- Small business tax credits
- Extension of dependent coverage for young adults
- Free prevention benefits
- No arbitrary limits on coverage
- Protection from rescissions of existing coverage
- Prohibits discrimination based on salary
- Ensure value for premium payments
- Pubic access to comparable information on insurance options
- Assist states in establishing offices of health insurance consumer assistance
- Clear summaries, without the fine print
- Implement an effective appeals process
- Simplify administrative processes to reduce costs
For more details on these benefits, please go to: http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc-sen_health_care_bill.cfm and click on Immediate Benefits.