“What will national healthcare reform do for my family?” We hear this question all the time. Last year, President Obama and Congress worked hard to pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA), historic legislation that will reform our federal healthcare system, benefiting people in every state from New York to Hawaii. The legislation was a major step forward in providing coverage for the uninsured and improving access to affordable healthcare for all.

New York State has long led the way on affordable healthcare coverage with innovative programs like Family Health Plus and Child Health Plus — but over two million New Yorkers still have no health insurance. This week, New York State started to hold hearings on the centerpiece of the ACA, the Health Insurance Exchange. Millions of New Yorkers will eventually get their health insurance through the exchange. But what will it cost? When will it start? What kinds of plans will be included?

You can help shape this process by signing up to testify at a hearing. Stakeholders are invited to discuss and provide input on how the Exchange would work and how it can be most efficient.

http://www.healthcarereform.ny.gov/timeline/

Let’s walk through some of the key reforms in the ACA, and a timeline for when they will come into effect.

Things you should know about the legislation:

• Millions more people will be eligible for insurance
• It guarantees access to affordable care
• Patients will be protected from insurance companies who try to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions
• It mandates coverage of preventive care, including immunizations and health screenings.

These improvements are a major step forward. They build up a system based on our core healthcare principles: preventing illness and disease whenever possible, and ensuring that when people do get sick they can afford to get high quality care.

Healthcare reform will not happen overnight. The legislation lays out a timeline to enact these policies over the next 3-4 years, with full implementation by 2014. However, as early as 2010 we saw immediate protection for children with pre-existing conditions (these laws go into effect for adults in 2014). Also in 2010, New York State launched a pre-existing conditions health insurance plan called the New York Bridge Plan and tens of thousands of New Yorkers under the age of 26 were allowed coverage under their parents health insurance plan.

2013 brings additional important milestones. States that expand Medicaid coverage for diagnostic and preventative services will receive federal support to help pay for these proactive programs. This means much needed dollars for community based health care and primary care. Already, NYS has received over $4 million for community based healthcare and over $26 million to expand and support primary healthcare delivery in NYS.

In 2014 all remaining reform policies will take effect, including:

• Guaranteed Access to Affordable Health Coverage: Consumers will have guaranteed access to quality, affordable health insurance. Some consumers will gain access through tax-credits and subsidies to individuals and families, while others will gain new eligibility for Medicaid.
• One-Stop-Shopping for Health Insurance: Health Insurance Exchanges will allow you and your family to compare prices and health plans, and choose the best options for you. The new Health Insurance Exchanges give more power to patients and will hold insurance companies accountable.
• Requiring Employers to Provide Health Coverage: Employers with 50 or more employees will be required to offer quality, affordable health coverage for their employees.

HEP applauds our legislators who worked to pass this historic legislation last year. It is an important step in our nation’s progress towards a system that works for all, and we at HEP will continue to work at the state level to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to high quality affordable healthcare.

For more information, download our fact sheet here or contact our Organizing Director Flo at 646-996-5468 or email: florence.johnson@hepny.org