Rights & Protections
The Affordable Care Act puts you – not insurance companies – back in charge
of your health care. The following rights and consumer protections are available
through the health care law:
Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) and Uniform Glossary
Most health insurance plans and issuers must provide you with an easy-to-understand summary about a health plan’s benefits and coverage.Consumer Assistance Program
State Consumer Assistance Programs help you file complaints and appeals, enroll in health coverage, and learn about your rights and responsibilities as a health care consumer.Appealing Health Plan Decisions
You have the right to ask your plan to reconsider a denial of payment for services.Preventive Care
You may be eligible to receive recommended preventive health services at no cost.Patient’s Bill of Rights
The “Patient’s Bill of Rights” outlines consumer protections and gives you the knowledge you need to make informed choices about your health.Children’s Pre-Existing Conditions
Insurance companies can no longer limit or deny benefits to children under age 19 due to a pre-existing health condition.Doctor Choice & ER Access
You have the right to choose the doctor you want from your plan’s network or seek emergency care at a hospital outside of your health plan’s network.Grandfathered Health Plans
You have the right to keep your “grandfathered” health plan if you were covered before the health care law was enacted. Grandfathered plans do not have to provide some of the rights and protections under the Affordable Care Act.Curbing Insurance Cancellations
Insurance companies can no longer cancel your coverage just because you made an honest mistake on your application.Insurance Choices
The Affordable Care Act gives you a variety of alternatives to the individual
private insurance market. If you need health insurance, these programs may be
available to you.
Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP)
If you have been rejected for insurance due to a health condition or disability, you may be eligible for coverage through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.Young Adult Coverage
If you are under 26, you may be eligible for health insurance coverage under your parent’s plan.Affordable Insurance Exchanges
Starting in 2014, you will be able to shop for insurance and compare health plans in new state-based Affordable Insurance Exchanges.CO-OP Insurance Plans
Starting in 2014, you or your small business may be able to buy insurance from a new type of non-profit, consumer-run health insurer, called a Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP).Insurance Costs
The Affordable Care Act provides you with new ways to hold insurance
companies accountable and keep your costs down. These changes can help you get
the most out of your health insurance.
Value for Your Premium Dollar
The health care law limits how much of your premium dollar your insurer can spend on things other than providing and improving the quality of your health care.Lifetime and Annual Limits
Lifetime limits on most benefits are banned for all new health insurance plans. Annual limits on your health benefits are now restricted and will be phased out by 2014.Flexible Spending Account Changes
If you have a flexible spending account, health savings account, or health reimbursement account, here are some important changes you should know about.Rate Review
Rate Review helps protect families and small businesses from unreasonable rate increases. Insurance companies must now justify any rate increase of 10% or more.65 or Older
The Affordable Care Act strengthens Medicare, offers eligible seniors a range
of preventive services with no cost-sharing, and provides discounts on drugs
when in the coverage gap known as the “donut hole.” Learn how the health care
law affects people age 65 or older.
Medicare Preventive Services
If you have Medicare, you are eligible for a number of cost-free preventive services.Medicare Drug Discounts
Eligible seniors who are in the coverage gap known as the “donut hole” automatically receive a discount on prescription drugs in 2011 and beyond.$250 “Donut Hole” Rebate (2010)
If you were in the prescription drug coverage gap in 2010, you may have qualified for a rebate.Strengthening Medicare
The health care law cracks down on waste, fraud, and abuse while providing new protections for seniors.Employers
Tax credits and new programs are now available to small businesses. Learn how
the law helps make care more affordable for employers, employees, and early
retirees:
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This is what ObamaCare DOES. Read it, learn it, tell your friends about it, and the 34th time the Republicans in Congress want to repeal it, ASK WHY? REPUBLICANS, you have lost the battle, and the war, MOVE ON! Think about it, when they're not frothing at the mouth over this, what are they talking about? More breaks for the rich, less regulation, business as usual on Wall Street, turning Medicare into a voucher program, doing away with Social Security, Corporations are people! WHERE DO I SIGN! This is not about taxes, or God forbid "Job Creators" aka: The Rich, its a step, not a perfect step, but a step toward making the fantasy that America has the greatest health care in the world, a little closer to reality.
Small Employer Tax Credits
Tax credits for small businesses and non-profits help you bring down the cost of providing insurance.Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP)
If your company provides health insurance to retirees ages 55 to 64, it may be eligible for financial help through the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program.********************************************************************************
This is what ObamaCare DOES. Read it, learn it, tell your friends about it, and the 34th time the Republicans in Congress want to repeal it, ASK WHY? REPUBLICANS, you have lost the battle, and the war, MOVE ON! Think about it, when they're not frothing at the mouth over this, what are they talking about? More breaks for the rich, less regulation, business as usual on Wall Street, turning Medicare into a voucher program, doing away with Social Security, Corporations are people! WHERE DO I SIGN! This is not about taxes, or God forbid "Job Creators" aka: The Rich, its a step, not a perfect step, but a step toward making the fantasy that America has the greatest health care in the world, a little closer to reality.
