Kaiser Permanente members:
The new federal health reform law contains several provisions that will affect health plans such as those offered by Kaiser Permanente.
We have been working to implement the new law's provisions in accordance with the schedule outlined by Congress, and regulations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and state agencies. On September 23, 2010, six of the law’s provisions formally took effect. These provisions support greater access to health coverage and improvements to some elements of benefits than are consistently offered across the country. They include: Dependant Coverage to Age 26; Changes to Cost Sharing on Preventive Services; Elimination of Lifetime Limits; Elimination of Preexisting Conditions Exclusions for Children; Emergency Services; and OB/GYN Services.
For more information about these provisions, click here.
In addition to these changes, other provisions of the health reform law will take effect in future years. In almost all cases, the government will need to put new regulations in place before those future changes can be made.
We will keep you informed of all the changes that are coming, and update you as we set up ways for you to take advantage of them as a Kaiser Permanente member. Please watch this space for more specific information on these benefits for Kaiser Permanente members.
Overview
On March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became federal law, initiating the most significant changes in the U.S. health care system since the establishment of Medicare in 1965. As an integrated health care delivery system covering 8.6 million Americans, we expect that the new reform law will affect our organization and the members we serve in many different ways.
Kaiser Permanente has been working to successfully implement the law’s provisions. This work will progress and evolve, as the multi-year implementation schedule unfolds. This work is critical to Kaiser Permanente and those we serve. Kaiser Permanente is committed to making reform a success for our members and our communities.
The Passage of Health Care Reform
The new health care reform law has the potential to improve lives in some important ways. Thirty-two million Americans, who today find themselves outside the system, will finally have access to vital preventive services and care for their chronic conditions. Medicare will reward high-quality health care for the first time in its history. This is a first important step in fixing a health care system that has long rewarded the provision of more care instead of better care. Guaranteeing health care coverage and connecting financial incentives to high-quality care are watershed changes in the U.S. health care system that will substantially improve the lives of Americans.
