Category: Health Insurance Reform
About the Affordable Care Act
The Health Insurance Marketplace® is a service that helps you compare and enroll in health insurance plans, find out if you are eligible for tax credits for private insurance or programs like Medicaid or CHIP and get help with questions about your health insurance.
Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the name of the comprehensive health care reform law passed in 2010. The goals of the law were to make health insurance coverage more affordable, expand Medicaid where possible, and support innovation to lower health care costs.
Employers
Your small business (fewer than 50 employees) doesn’t have to offer health insurance coverage. Those who want to offer coverage have affordable options, and some may provide tax savings.
Health Insurance Coverage
The Affordable Care Act requires that most individual and small employer health insurance plans, including all plans offered through the Health Insurance Marketplace cover mental health and substance use disorder services.
Yes. All insurance plans in the Marketplace cover 10 standard health benefits. This includes pregnancy and care before and after birth. Plans have to cover breastfeeding support, which includes breast pumps. There are some guidelines.
Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies can’t refuse to cover you or charge you more just because you have a “pre-existing condition” — that is, a health problem you had before the date that new health coverage starts.
Yes. You can get dental coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace in two ways: as part of a health plan, or by itself through a separate, stand-alone dental plan.
Manage Your Health Care
Bring your complaints first to your doctor and nurses. If you have Medicare, contact your Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO). Talk to your hospital social worker if you don’t think you’re ready to be discharged from the hospital. If you have billing complaints, discuss them with the hospital or Medicare carrier.
Health Care Assistance
Free or reduced-cost prenatal care may be available. Call 1-800-311-BABY to find the health department in your area code.
The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) health centers provide care on a sliding fee scale, so it is affordable for anyone. You can receive care even if you are uninsured or cannot pay. Centers are located all over the United States.
Health Care Facilities
Use the tool on Medicare's website to search for hospital quality ratings and patient surveys. Review what you find with your doctor and other health care providers to help make the best decisions for your care.
On Medicare.gov, you can find nursing homes near you and compare them based on their quality. You can search by your location or by facility name.
Dental Care
There are many resources for dental care, including community health centers, medical insurance programs (public and private), dental schools, clinical trials, and more.