The Patient protection and Affordable Care Act
(PPACA) guidelines must be enacted by September 23rd, 2010 (6 months from the
date it was passed)
September 23rd
guidelines:
-Dependent children will be permitted to remain
on their parents' insurance plan until their 26th birthday.
-Insurers are
prohibited from discriminating against any individuals under the age of 19 based
on pre-existing medical conditions.
-Insurers are prohibited from
charging co-payments or deductibles for Level A or Level B preventive care and
medical screenings on all new insurance plans.
-Individuals affected by
the Medicare Part D coverage gap will receive a $250 rebate, and 50% of the gap
will be eliminated in 2011. The gap will be eliminated by
2020.
-Insurers' abilities to enforce annual spending caps will be
restricted, and completely prohibited by 2014.
-Insurers are prohibited
from rescinding policyholders when they get sick unless fraud was committed on
the application.
-Insurers are required to reveal details about
administrative and executive expenditures.
-Insurers are required to
implement an appeals process for coverage determination and claims on all new
plans.
-Indoor tanning services are subjected to a 10% service
tax.
-Enhanced methods of fraud detection are
implemented.
-Medicare is expanded to small, rural hospitals and
facilities.
-Non-profit Blue Cross insurers are required to maintain a
loss ratio (money spent on procedures over money incoming) of 85% or higher to
take advantage of IRS tax benefits.
-Companies which provide early
retiree benefits for individuals aged 55–64 are eligible to participate in a
temporary program which reduces premium costs.
-A new website installed
by the Secretary of Health and Human Services will provide consumer insurance
information for individuals and small businesses in all states.
-A
temporary credit program is established to encourage private investment in new
therapies for disease treatment and prevention
Effective by
January 1, 2011
-Employers must disclose the value of the
benefits they provided beginning in 2011 for each employee's health insurance
coverage on the employees' annual Form W-2's.
-Insurers will be required
to spend 85% of large-group and 80% of small-group and individual plan premiums
(with certain adjustments) on health care or to improve health-care quality, or
return the difference to the customer as a rebate.
-Companies will be
required to issue 1099 forms to any vendor of services or rental property to
which the business has paid more than $600. Form 1099 is also sent to the IRS.
Under the existing law, businesses issued the Form 1099 only to individuals who
provided services or property to a business. The health care law included the
same form be issued to corporations as well, and that the form be issued to
individuals and corporations that provide property to the business.Only business
related payments are reportable, personal payments not.There are a number of
exceptions, for example: payments for merchandise, telephone, freight, storage,
payments of rent to real estate agents are excepted.The health care bill mandate
aims to collect lost revenue from companies that under-report on their tax
returns. The provision is expected to raise $17 billion over 10
years.
-The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is responsible for
developing the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and overseeing the
testing of innovative payment and delivery models.