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Reform Bill

By 2014 and beyond...

• $15 billion over ten years will be funded to the prevention/wellness trust.
• No one with any pre-existing condition will be denied coverage.
• Most Americans who are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid or covered by employer plans will be able to comparison shop for affordable, comprehensive healthcare insurance on centralized exchanges.
• Government subsidies to Medicare Advantage, plans run by private insurers, will be lowered in 2012, possibly leading to higher premiums or reduced benefits.
• Medicaid will be expanded to cover people with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level ($29,327 for a family of four in 2010).
• If you remain uninsured, you may face an initial fine in 2014 of $95 or 1 percent of income, whichever is higher. By 2016, the penalty rises to $695 or 2.5 percent of income, but families will not pay more than $2,085.
• Individuals and families who cannot afford insurance through exchanges and don't qualify for Medicaid may receive premium subsidies.
• Starting in 2013, individuals earning at least $200,000 and families earning more than $250,000 will pay higher Medicare payroll taxes, as well as a 3.8 percent tax on investment income.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services will provide more details in the coming weeks, and dLife will continue to monitor how the new law will benefit Americans with diabetes. Stay tuned…

Bob Woods is a freelance writer based in Madison, Connecticut.

SOURCES:

1 - American Diabetes Association. Updates on Healthcare Reform. http://advocacy.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ADA_health_care_reform_updates. (Accessed 03/10)
2 - Diabetes Health. Moving Toward a Healthcare Bill: What People with Diabetes Need to Know. http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2010/01/19/6526/moving-toward-a-healthcare-bill-what-people-with-diabetes-need-to-know/. (Accessed 03/10)
3 - The New York Times. How Different Types of People Will Be Affected by the Health Care Overhaul. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/24/us/politics/20100319-health-care-effect.htm#tab=5. (Accessed 03/10)
4 - The New York Times. For Consumers, Clarity on Health Care Changes. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/your-money/health-insurance/22consumer.html. (Accessed 03/10)
5 - Kaiser Health News. How The Health Bill Would Affect You. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2010/March/22/Consumer-Impact-of-Bill.aspx. (Accessed 03/10)
6 - The New York Times. The New Landscape of Health Care. http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/the-new-landscape-of-health-care/. (Accessed 03/29/10)
7 - Diabetes Forecast Magazine. Health Care Reform Promises Coverage for All With Diabetes. http://forecast.diabetes.org/magazine/advocacy/health-care-reform-promises-coverage-all-diabetes. (Access 03/10)
8 - Novo Nordisk. Issue 1: Healthcare Reform. Novo Nordisk Bluesheet: Quarterly Perspectives on Diabetes and Chronic Diseases (Accessed 07/10)

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