6 Resources For Understanding U.S. Health Reform

I recently went to a luncheon that discussed the basics of the US Health Care Reform. I found out that even though it was blasted all over the media, I knew very little, and almost nothing regarding how it would affect me.

I knew that the bill would require most U.S. citizens to have health insurance (beginning in 2014) and provide more affordable health insurance options. I knew that there were incentives for businesses to offer health insurance to their employees. I knew that the bill imposed regulations to prevent health insurers from denying coverage to people for any reason, including a pre-existing condition. That is about I all knew.

One of the biggest changes is that the new reform hopes to saves costs by changing the mentality and coverage from “fix it after the fact” to “preventive care methods.” For example, no coinsurance or deductibles will be charged for preventive services for Medicare recipients. Medicare will also cover a free annual comprehensive wellness visit and personalized prevention plan.

If you’re like me here are a few resources that might help navigate through reform changes and your coverage.

Resources:

• HealthCare.gov by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Coverage Options
  • Understanding the Affordable Care Act
  • Preventive Services
• The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
  • Summary of New Health Reform Law
  • Implementation Timeline for New Health Reform Law
  • How Will the Individual Mandate Work?
  • How Will Health Care Reform Affect the States?
  • Summary of Key Changes to Medicare in 2010 Health Reform Law
  • Much more
• THE COMMONWEALTH FUND
  • Health Reform Implementation Timeline
  • State Scorecard
  • Much more
• Your Industry’s Trade Journals: Look at your industry’s trade journals to see what is being covered regarding health coverage. For the Durable Medical Equipment industry the big topic is competitive bidding.
• Medicare.com: Get the basics to understanding your Medicare coverage and how the system works.
  • Coverage Basics
  • Tips on Finding a Medicare Doctor
  • How Do I Get Reimbursed by Medicare?
  • Medicare Wheelchair Options and Accessories
• State Health Foundations: Check to see if your state has a foundation that can assist in learning more about your local coverage. Not all states have foundations.
  • Arizona Foundation for Medical Care
  • Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care
  • The California HealthCare Foundation
  • Connecticut Health Foundation
  • Delaware Foundation for Medical Services
  • Health Foundation of South Florida
  • Georgia Medical Care Foundation
  • Hawaii Medical Services Association Foundation
  • Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care
  • Iowa Foundation for Medical Care
  • Kansas Health Foundation
  • Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky
  • Maine Health Access Foundation
  • The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts
  • Missouri Foundation for Health
  • The Caring Foundation of Montana
  • Nevada Public Health Foundation
  • New Hampshire’s Foundation for Healthy Communities
  • New Jersey Health Foundation
  • New York State Health Foundation
  • The North Carolina Public Health Foundation
  • Ohio Foundation for Medical Quality
  • Oregon Health Care Foundation
  • South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care
  • Utah Healthy Living Foundation
  • Vermont Health Foundation
  • Virginia Health Care Foundation
  • Washington Health Foundation
  • Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation