Today, the Affordable Care Act:
Guarantees that children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health insurance.
- Provides tax credits to small businesses that provide health care coverage for their workers.
- Allows young adults up to age 26 to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans.
- Sends $250 checks to senior citizens who fall into the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole,” with a 50 percent discount going into effect on January 1, 2011.
- Ends lifetime limits and restricts annual dollar limits on benefits.
- Empowers consumers to appeal claims denied by insurance companies.
- Bans insurance companies from cancelling policies with- out proving fraud and bans denying payment for services based on technical errors.
- Makes health care coverage available to people who have been uninsured for at least six months because of a preexisting condition.
- Requires all new plans to cover preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies without charging a deductible, co-pay or coinsurance.
In addition, on January 1, 2011, insurance companies for large employers will be required to spend 85 percent of all pre- mium dollars on health care services and quality improve- ments (80 percent for insurers serving individuals and small businesses). This will hold premium increases down and stop price-gouging.