How will the Affordable Care Act Affect my Medical Supplies?
With current legislation moving forward, many patients under government health care like Medicare and Medicaid have questions about how the Affordable Care Act will affect them. There are many reputable .gov ending websites with information depending on what kind of patient you are (Senior, Child, Patient with Disabilities, etc). Make sure, if you are doing research online, that you are looking at a reputable .gov website as these will not have political opinions about the Affordable Care Act and will only have facts.
Seniors currently on Medicare, or moving to Medicare soon, will have many questions about the Affordable Care Act, as they are one of the largest groups affected. The law guarantees that your current Medicare-covered benefits will not be reduced and you will still be able to pick your own doctor. There will be a one-time tax-free rebate to relieve the “donut-hole” in prescription coverage. Certain preventive care services will now be covered whereas they were not or were only partially covered before. By reforming Medicare in this way, the program will be extended for future generations. There are many other tenets to the act. You may read all or part of the act here: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/full/index.html
For those adults with disabilities, the Affordable Care Act states that you can not be denied insurance coverage because of a preexisting condition and you can not be charged more for coverage if you have a preexisting condition. Lifetime dollar limits, loss of coverage from expensive illnesses, and mistakes on applications are no longer viable reasons to drop a patient from coverage. The Affordable Care Act will also help those people with disabilities who are currently enrolled with Medicare but who can not work qualify for Medicaid benefits.
Families with children who need medical supplies will also benefit from the Affordable Care Act. Families can not be dropped from coverage for preexisting conditions in the family. Insurance companies can no longer impose dollar limits on treatments, procedures, or medical expenses for sick children. Pregnancy care for mothers, newborn care, and vision and dental care for children will all be covered. Parents also have the option to cover their children’s insurance until the child is 26 years old. Tax credits are also available to qualifying families with incomes under $88,000 for a family of 4.
If you are wondering about when certain aspects of the law go into effect, there is a detailed timeline available here: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/timeline/ This website also offers much more in depth information, as well as contact phone numbers and addresses for questions.
