The New Year is now underway and as our newly elected congressional officials take their place on Capitol Hill, much of their debate will center on repealing certain provisions from the 2010 Healthcare Reform.
Last year, 25 provisions were implemented under the U.S. health reform. Among these provisions are some that directly affect seniors, caregivers, and primary care physicians. Here are some noteworthy changes that were implemented in 2010.
- Insurance companies are now prohibited from searching customer applications for mistakes or technical errors for the purpose of dropping coverage.
- Insurance companies are also prohibited from establishing lifetime dollar limits on health care plans.
- Insurance companies will be more closely regulated on setting annual dollar limits for beneficiaries on services like hospital stays, until 2014 when these limits will be banned for all new plans.
- An estimated 4 million seniors, who have hit the gap in Medicare Part D coverage, will receive a $250 rebate.
- Medicaid beneficiaries will benefit from an increase in drug rebates for brand-name drugs to 23.1% and to 13% on generic drugs. Also, extends coverage to Medicaid managed care plans.
- The Prevention and Public Health Fund will appropriate $15 billion in fiscal years 2010-2014, to invest in proven prevention and public health programs – including smoking cessation and combating obesity.
- All new health insurance plans must cover certain preventative services such as mammograms and colonoscopies.
- A temporary reinsurance program for early retirees will allow seniors who are not eligible for Medicare coverage to dip into a $5 billion program to help them maintain affordable care.
- To strengthen the primary-care workforce, provisions have also been established to provide incentives for health professionals to practice in primary-care. These incentives will include scholarships, loan repayment subsidies, and tax benefits, among others.
- There will also be more incentives for physicians to practice primary care in rural areas, which are estimated to represent 68% of all medically underserved communities.
