(Some) Health Care Provisions In Effect Now

Yesterday was a big day for health care. May provisions went into effect helping those who otherwise would have lost coverage or could not get coverage.

- Insurers can no longer deny coverage to children based on pre-existing conditions
- Annual limits will be banned on new plans (and all plans in 2014)
- Consumers will be able to appeal claims decisions through an external review process
- Up to 4 million small businesses become eligible for tax credits to provide insurance
- An estimated 4 million seniors will begin to receive $250 checks for prescription coverage gaps
- New resources will be used to crack down on health care fraud and waste
- New state or federal pools will offer coverage for adults with pre-existing conditions
- Incentives such as scholarships and loan repayments will be offered to build up primary care
- States requiring insurers to justify premium increases could win grants and ban insurers from exchanges
- Extra payments will be available to rural health care providers in underserved areas

If you want to know when a provision goes into effect by year go to http://www.healthcare.gov/law/about/order/byyear.html