Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act: What Does It Do?

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) became law in March of 2010

as part of the new health care reform, also referred to as Obamacare. This new act makes several provisions to the current system, and includes such changes as: insurance companies no longer being able to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, tax incentives for businesses who offer health insurance benefits, increasing patient eligibility for Medicaid, setting up a health insurance exchange, government subsidizing of health insurance premiums, and more resources for medical research.

While most people will agree that the idea behind the PPACA is good in theory, the main reason that people are so upset with the health care bill and are demanding lawmakers repeal Obamacare is because these new programs will need to be paid for, and this will not come cheap. In fact, it appears as though it will be paid by many new taxes and fees placed on the American people.

The PPACA will begin to implement changes in September 2010; however more provisions will go into effect in the year 2014. These include: increases to the drug rebates for Medicaid, the creation of a new National Preventions Health Promotion and Public Health Council, children can remain on parent's health insurance plans until the age of 26, the creation of a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and insurance companies no longer being able to terminate coverage when a patient becomes ill.

Within the next few years, even more provisions will go into effect to continue the health care reform. These changes will require employers to inform employees of the values of their benefits on their W-2s, and rebates when insurers do not spend at least eighty percent of individual and small group or eighty five percent of large group premiums. What's more, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, and other similar accounts will not be able to be used for over the counter medications. Self-employed people who earn more than $200,000 per year will also be charged an additional half percent tax.

In addition to these portions of the health care reform, the PPACA also mandates that chain restaurants with at least twenty locations will now be required to include calorie information on menus, drive through menu boards, and vending machines.

by: Dominic Lin

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