Federal health care reform

“MOVING FORWARD…PROTECTING OUR CARE”
Protecting Small Business | Read KVH Statement here
Protecting Seniors | Read KVH Statement here
Protecting Patients' Rights | Read KVH Statement here
Protecting Women | Read KVH Statement here
Protecting Children & Young Adults | Read KVH Statement here

Watch video vignettes featuring people whose lives have been improved by the Affordable Care Act | Click here


Are you looking for a speaker on health reform and how the law impacts Kentuckians? Make a request here

 

Where We Stand

The New Health Reform Law: What it Means for Kentuckians Image for New Health Reform Law Cover
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, signed into law on March 23, 2010, will help Kentuckians from all walks of life—young and old, low and middle-income, working and unemployed—to get and keep affordable health insurance while putting safeguards in place to improve quality and contain costs. This issue brief is intended to help Kentuckians understand the new law. It provides a basic timeline of what will happen under the reforms, describes the impact on Kentucky, presents questions and answers about the new reforms, and offers sources of additional information. Click here to access the brief.

Click here to access the Health Reform Timeline.
Click hereto access the Number of Kentuckians Who Will Benefit from Health Reform, 2010-2020.

KY Department of Insurance Health Reform

Consumers can now find Consumer Rate Information at http://insurance.ky.gov/Static_Info.aspx?Static_ID=117&Div_id=7

Frequently Asked Questions for Consumers (NAIC)

KVH Comments on Health Insurance Exchanges

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requested comment on the proposed rules to aid in the development of standards for the establishment and operation of the exchanges, to address other exchange-related provisions in the Affordable Care Act, and to inform for the awarding of grants to states to assist them in planning and developing their exchanges. Comments were due on Monday, Oct. 4. KVH submitted comments regarding areas of interest to consumers. Health reform requires the establishment of American Health Benefits Exchanges, or “exchanges,” to create regulated marketplaces where eligible consumers can buy health insurance.


Important Consumer Protections Implemented Sept 23 as a result of the new Health Reform law:


Watch: Straight Talk for Seniors on Health Reform
If you’re still not sure how health reform will affect seniors, get the facts in our Straight Talk videos. They feature Jim Firman, NCOA president and CEO, outlining how the law will impact Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, and more. Watch the videos »

Federal Health Reform Links

www.healthcare.gov
Official government site provides information on finding insurance options, prevention, comparing care quality and understanding the new law.

CuidadodeSalud.Gov is the partner site of HealthCare.gov, and is the first website in Spanish to provide consumers with both public and private health coverage options tailored specifically for their needs in a single, easy-to-use tool.

www.regulations.gov
The Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (OCIIO) recently released numerous regulations and requests for comment. It's critical for state advocates to have a voice in federal rulemaking, so we've listed these opportunities for you below.

· Status as a Grandfathered Health Plan(Deadline: August 16)

· Patient's Bill of Rights(Deadline: August 27)

· Coverage of Preventive Services(Deadline: September 17)

· Internal Claims and Appeals and External Review Processes(Deadline: September 21)

· Pre Existing Condition Insurance Plan(Deadline:September 28)

Kaiser Family Foundation Health Reform Gateway
Kaiser Family Foundation is the nations leading health care policy organization. The health care reform gateway provides basic information analysis, data, and a calculator for individuals to estimate premiums and subsidies under the new law.

Health Reform Hits Main Street by Kaiser (link to video)
Confused about how the new health reform law really works? This short, animated movie -- featuring the "YouToons" -- explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in 2014.

statehealthfacts.org
A project of the Kaiser Family Foundation, this site provides comprehensive state by state health data.

FamiliesUSA-Health Reform Central
Families USA is a national nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Working at the national, state, and community levels, they have earned a national reputation as an effective voice for health care consumers for 25 years.

Community Catalyst
Community Catalyst is a national non-profit advocacy organization working to build the consumer and community leadership that is required to transform the American health system. State consumer advocates will play a critical role in ensuring the success of national health care reform. Community Catalyst will support advocates’ efforts to ensure the law is implemented effectively, and that consumer interests continue to be represented when new programs are established and new rules and guidelines are set.

Trust for America's Health
Trust for America's Health (TFAH) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Conference of State Legislatures
Health Reform implementation information from NCLS a national organization that serves 50 state legislatures

National Governors Association- Health Reform Implementation Resource Center
The NGA is the collective voice of the nation's Governors. States play a significant role in health reform implementation as part of the new law that includes a range of state requirements and options.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, another leading national organization that conducts research and provides grant funding for health reform activities.

 

Consumers Union
Consumers Union has revamped the content on their Consumer Reports Health page and it now includes a downloadable guide called “Health Reform: The First Six Months”


Expanding Health Coverage in Kentucky: Why It Matters

This Kentucky Voices for Health issues brief provides highlights of recent research that clearly illustrates why expanding health coverage matters to Kentucky. Click hereto review the brief. Issued 9/9/09

 

Tell Us Why
HealthCareandYou.org

Care About Your Care
HealthCare.gov: Take health care into your own hands Learn More

Partnership for Patients - Healthcare.gov. Proud to be Partners in Better Care at Lower Costs
Find Insurance that is Available to You, Your Family, or Your Small Business




View Today's Headlines from Kaiser Health News


KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION NEWS RELEASE - September 21, 2010
The Kaiser Family Foundation Launches Online Health Reform Source to Explain, Analyze and Track the New Law's Implementation --READ MORE

FACTOIDS

Uninsured Kentuckians are older, poorer, and more likely to work part-time than the average American who has no health coverage.

The vast majority (83%) of uninsured Kentuckians are low-income workers whose jobs generally do not provide coverage.

Kentuckians without health insurance are three times more likely to skip going to a doctor or needed medical treatment than insured Kentuckians.

Uninsured Kentuckians are more than twice as likely as those with insurance to report having problems paying a medical bill, being contacted by a collection agency about medical bills, going without basic necessities due to medical bills, and exhausting savings to pay medical bills.

One in three Kentuckians (34%), receives health coverage from a publicly funded source, such as Medicaid, Medicare, or the Kentucky Employees Health Plan, which covers all local school district employees and active and retired state employees.

About half of Kentucky’s population (48%) obtains health coverage from private employers.

It is estimated that 57.9% of all private employers in Kentucky provide health coverage to their employees, which is slightly better than the national average of 55.8%. However, only 42% of small employers in Kentucky (employing 50 or fewer employees) offer coverage.

State researchers who estimated the cost of providing coverage to the uninsured in 2004 concluded that the benefits to society outweigh the additional costs by as much as $871 million annually.

Nine of 10 Kentuckians (91%) surveyed in the 2008 Kentucky Health Issues Poll favored providing access to affordable, quality health care to all Americans.