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HHS Affordable Care Act Bulletin

July 29nd, 2011

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Contents:

Recent News
Recent Healthcare Blog Posts
Speeches
Fact Sheets
Information for Your Community & You
State By State Fact Sheets
Regulations & Guidance
Grants
Special Programs
Councils & Groups
Brochures/Educational Materials

Recent HealthCare Blog Posts

July 28: Five Things People with Medicare Should Know, By Don Berwick, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
July 28: National Health Expenditures Reach Historic Low, By Nancy-Ann DeParle, White House Deputy Chief of Staff
July 14: Keeping Kids Healthy in School, By Mary Wakefield, Administrator Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
July 11: Looking Ahead to 2014: Competitive Affordable Insurance Marketplaces, By Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services
July 8: Medicaid: More than Just Numbers, By Jon Carson, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement
July 8: Helping States Improve Care and Reduce Costs, By Don Berwick, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
July 8: Raising Patient Safety Awareness Across the Country, Joe McCannon, Senior Advisor to the Administrator, CMS
July 7: Health Insurance Leads to Healthier Americans, By Sherry Glied, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
July 1: Protecting Physicians and People with Medicare, By Don Berwick, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Speeches

June 27, 2011 2nd Annual National Accountable Care Organization Summit; Washington, D.C.
June 17, 2011 US Conference of Mayors; Baltimore, MD
June 7, 2011 National Disability Rights Network; Baltimore, MD
June 7, 2011 Hampton University 97th Annual Ministers’ Conference; Hampton, VA
June 6, 2011 Federal LGBT Youth Summit; Washington, D.C.

Fact Sheets

The fact sheets are condensed summaries of important provisions in the Affordable Care Act.
July 27, 2011
Better Health, Better Care, Lower Costs: Reforming Health Care Delivery
July 18, 2011
CO-OP Health Plans: More Competition, New Choices for Consumers and Small Business
July 15, 2011
State by State Enrollment in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, as of May 31, 2011
July 11, 2011
Affordable Insurance Exchanges: Choices, Competition and Clout for States
July 11, 2011
Affordable Insurance Exchanges: More Choices, Competition and Clout
July 11, 2011
Affordable Insurance Exchanges: Choices, Competition and Clout for Small Businesses
July 11, 2011
Affordable Insurance Exchanges: States are Leading the Way
July 11, 2011
Affordable Insurance Exchanges: Standards Related to Reinsurance, Risk Corridors and Risk Adjustment
July 11, 2011
Affordable Insurance Exchanges: Information for Health Plans
July 11, 2011
Affordable Insurance Exchanges: Questions and Answers

Information for Your Community and You

State By State Fact Sheets

Choose your state to learn more about the immediate benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

Regulations & Guidance

Regulations and guidance are used to implement many of the Affordable Care Act provisions that address both private and public health insurance.

CO-OPs - Establishment of Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) Program (Issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) (PDF - 133 KB)
Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans (Issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Standards Related to Reinsurance, Risks Corridors and Risk Adjustment (Issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Administrative Simplification – Interim Final Rule on the Adoption of Operating Rules for Eligibility for a Health Plan and Health Care Claim Status Transactions (Issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Health Insurance Rate Review – Final Rule on Rate Increase Disclosure and Review (Issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Medicare – Final Rule on Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing (Issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Medicaid – Final Rule on Federal Funding for Medicaid Eligibility Determination and Enrollment Activities (Issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Medicaid – Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Home and Community-Based Services Waivers (Issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Food Labeling - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Calorie Labeling of Articles of Food in Vending Machines (Issued by the Food and Drug Administration)
Food Labeling - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments (Issued by the Food and Drug Administration)
Accountable Care Organizations - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Accountable Care Organizations (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Health Insurance Rate Review NPRM (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Supplemental Guidance on Consumer Notices on Waivers of the Annual Limits Requirements (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Supplemental Guidance on Sale of New Business by Issuers Receiving Waivers (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Medical Loss Ratio Regulation (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight). View State MLR adjustment applications and public comments.
Initial Guidance to States on Exchanges (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Amendment to Regulation on “Grandfathered” Health Plans under the Affordable Care Act (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Medicaid IT NPRM - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Federal Funding for Medicaid Eligibility Determination and Enrollment Activities (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Medicaid RAC - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Program (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Regulation on Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Request for Comment on Health Insurance Exchanges (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Regulation on Consumers' Right to Appeal Health Plan Decisions (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Preventive Services: Regulations and Recommendations
Patient’s Bill of Rights (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Regulation on “Grandfathered” Health Plans under the Affordable Care Act (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Dependent Coverage of Children Who Have Not Attained Age 26 (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Health Care Reform Insurance Web Portal Requirements (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
COBRA Continuation of Coverage (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Health Insurance Reform for Consumers (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Health Insurance Reform for Employers (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Self-Funded Nonfederal Governmental Plans (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

Grants

The Affordable Care Act creates a number of new grant opportunities. Below, you will find links to the grant centers for the agencies administering these grants. There, and at Grants.gov, you can search for relevant grant opportunities.

Special Programs

Several new programs across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services support the work of the Affordable Care Act. You will find information about these programs on this page.

Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs

Councils & Groups

The Affordable Care Act establishes a number of councils and groups to carry out provisions in the law. To learn more about the organizations, click on a link below:

Brochures/Educational Materials

Below you’ll find brochures and materials related to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

New Benefits for Graduates and Young Adults (PDF – 206 KB)
Better Benefits, Better Health (PDF – 374 KB)
Better Benefits, Better Health for Women (PDF – 311 KB)
Better Benefits, Better Health for Young Adults (PDF – 193 KB)
Better Benefits, Better Health for Seniors (PDF – 128 KB)
Better Benefits, Better Health for Small Businesses (PDF – 160 KB)
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for You (PDF - English 2.78 MB, Spanish 2.59 MB)
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for Employers (PDF - English 916 KB, Spanish 963 KB)
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for Small Business (PDF - English 1.17 MB, Spanish 1 MB)
The New Health Care Law - What it Means for You and Your Family (PDF - English 899 KB, Spanish 833 KB)
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for Rural America (PDF - English 1.06MB, Spanish 833 KB)
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for Young Adults (PDF - English 971 KB, Spanish 879 KB)
Patient Protections & Insurance Reforms
Poster: Are You Eligible for the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan? (PDF - English 271 KB, Spanish 231 KB)
Newsletter Language for Partners: Use this toolkit to share information about the PCIP program with your newspaper or newsletter readers.
Website Language for Partners: Use this toolkit to share information about the PCIP program with your online readers.
The Affordable Care Act — What it Means for Those with Pre-Existing Conditions (PDF - English 354 KB, Spanish 356 KB)
Medicare and the New Health Care Law — What it Means for You
PCIP Facts: The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan – New Health Coverage Option for the Uninsured (PDF – English 123 KB, Spanish 162 KB)
Generic Flyer: The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan – New Health Coverage Option for the Uninsured (PDF – 229 KB)
Web Badge for Partners: Add a PCIP.gov badge to your website.