Next steps for health care reform implementation

 

We Need to Talk About ObamaCare

by Ryan Singleton    
                  

The communications coordinator for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago explains the next steps for health care reform implementation.

 

Ryan Singleton

I was recently visiting a friend, and he said, “I don’t know what to do. I’m a relatively smart guy, but I have no clue what’s going on with ObamaCare. I look at websites, but I don’t understand what they’re saying or what they want me to sign.” My friend is self-employed and eager to take advantage of new options for health care, but change can be confusing.

According to John Peller, vice president of policy at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC), ObamaCare (a.k.a. the Affordable Care Act) will completely change the landscape for prevention, treatment, care, and essential services for people living with HIV. He says it will link more people to HIV testing, connect more people living with the disease to medications, and give more people access to regular medical care.

This is also true for people who test negative for HIV. They’ll have access to care and preventive services in unprecedented ways.

But there are a few questions that need to be answered before we can reap the fruits of this new law, such as: When do you sign up for coverage? How do you sign up? Who is eligible for coverage, and when does it begin?

Let’s slow things down and start with dates. Most people can enroll in ObamaCare starting October 1, 2013. Their coverage will then be effective on January 1, 2014.

This open-enrollment window closes on March 31, 2014 for the new private insurance options (more about that in a second). After that, people won’t be able to sign up for ObamaCare private insurance until the fall of 2014 for coverage beginning in 2015.  Low-income people will be able to enroll in Medicaid at any time. (source: Poz.com)

 

 

The Living Affected Update

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Releases Hepatitis C Screening Recommendation

Earlier this week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its Hepatitis C Virus Screening Recommendation, which aligns itself with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis. The USPSTF recommends screening for those at high risk for Hepatitis C infection, as well as a one-time screening for “Baby Boomers,” those individuals who were born between 1945 and 1965. Baby Boomers account for nearly two-thirds of all chronic Hepatitis C cases, so it is especially important to target this group for screening. 65-75% of those living with Hepatitis B or C are unaware of their infection; increased screening is key to identifying patients early and getting them into treatment. Furthermore, between 25-33% of Americans living with HIV are also living with Hepatitis C. Click here to read more about the recommendation. (source: AIDS United) Improving Access to Coverage Ryan White & the Affordable Care Act: What You Need to Know Visit HRSA's HIV/AIDS Bureau web site offering guidance on key provisions of the new health care law for the Ryan White Program, information on insurance enrollment options, education and outreach materials, and more. Currently, fewer than one in five (17%) people living with HIV has private insurance and nearly 30% do not have any coverage. Medicaid, the Federal-state program that provides health care benefits to people with low incomes and those living with disabilities, is a major source of coverage for people living with HIV/AIDS, as is Medicare, the Federal program for seniors and people with disabilities. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is another key source of funding for health and social services for this population. The Affordable Care Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation in the fight against HIV/AIDS in our history. As of September 23, 2010, insurers are no longer able to deny coverage to children living with HIV or AIDS. The parents of as many as 17.6 million children with pre-existing conditions no longer have to worry that their children will be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Insurers also are prohibited from cancelling or rescinding coverage to adults or children because of a mistake on an application. And insurers can no longer impose lifetime caps on insurance benefits. Because of the law, 105 million Americans no longer have a lifetime dollar limit on essential health benefits. These changes will begin to improve access to insurance for people living with HIV/AIDS and other disabling conditions and help people with these conditions retain the coverage they have. For people who have been locked out of the insurance market because of their health status, including those living with HIV/AIDS, the law created the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan. More than 90,000 people—some of whom are living with HIV or AIDS—have enrolled in this program, which has helped change lives and, in many cases, save them. These changes will provide an important bridge to the significant changes in 2014 as the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented. Beginning in 2014, insurers will not be allowed to deny coverage to anyone or impose annual limits on coverage. People with low and middle incomes will be eligible for tax subsidies that will help them buy coverage from new state Health Insurance Marketplaces. (source: AIDS.gov)