Health Care Reform

Health care reform became law in March 2010 through 2 bills: Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act of 2010 (PPACA); and Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA). This section links to articles and resources on various aspects of health care reform, some affecting people with Medicare, and some affecting the pre-retiree population, ages 50-65. Also see the government’s website Healthcare.gov for more information.

In this section:

1. An Overview for Consumers: Selected Aspects of Health Care Reform

   Learn some of the most important issues about how health insurance will change in the coming years, specifically: 1) regulations on medical loss ratios (MLRs); 2) standards and disclosure on insurance companies’ unreasonable rate increases; 3) standardized definitions and terms to be used in health insurance contracts; and 4) standardized summary of health care benefits that will allow you to make side-by-side comparisons of health care coverage offered by different companies.

2. Frequently Asked Questions About The CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports)

   8 common questions about the CLASS Act, a new national voluntary long-term care cash benefit insurance program paid for through voluntary payroll deductions. This is established through the health care reform legislation.

3. Detailed Summary of the CLASS Act

   Outlines the CLASS Act's provisions, including its benefits, premiums, enrollment and disenrollment structure, and counseling and assistance resources to be available for all future CLASS Act enrollees.