Heath Care Reform

With the new health care law, children under the age of 26 can choose to stay under their parent’s Minnesota health insurance as long as they are not offered an employer-based health insurance. This provision enabled 2.5 million young adults to have insurance nationwide. In Minnesota, 32,189 young adults have insurance coverage through this provision as of June 2011. The new health care law allowed 66,833 Medicare policyholders in Minnesota to receive a $250 rebate check to help with prescription drug costs when they fell into the Medicare gap in 2010. In 2011, 57,610 Medicare plan holders were given a 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs covered by their plans when they hit the donut hole. An average of $590 per person or a total of $33,963,871 was saved in Minnesota. Previously uninsured individuals without health coverage because of a pre-existing condition can now apply for a Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. This plan is available to U.S. citizens or legal residents with a pre-existing condition and have been uninsured for at least 6 months. In 2011, 244 individuals in Minnesota have benefited from this new law. When looking at Minnesota health insurance quotes, applicants are assured that at least 80 percent of the price will go directly to health care services and other related improvements. A rebate or premium discount shall be provided if the minimum is not met. All private policyholders in Minnesota will get greater value for their premium payments because of this 80/20 rule. Preventive care services like immunizations, colonoscopies, mammograms, or annual wellness doctor visits must be included in all Minnesota health insurance with no deductibles or co-pays. In 2011, 424,007 Medicare subscribers and more than 1 million individuals with private policies received such services in Minnesota. Under the new law, insurance companies are no longer allowed to impose an annual dollar limit-a cap on the yearly spending for your benefits, or a lifetime dollar limit-a lifetime cap for spending for your covered benefits. This law frees chronically ill individuals like cancer patients from worrying about getting further treatment because of such limitations. In 2011, more than 2 million Minnesota residents have benefited from this law. If insurance companies want to raise their premium rates by ten percent or more, they are required by federal law to publicly announce and justify their actions. To guard against such unreasonable increases, the state of Minnesota received a total of $3.9 million. All fifty states receive increases in funding for community health centers under the Affordable Care Act. This will help construct new health centers, provide medical services to more patients, improve preventive and primary health care services, and fund infrastructure projects. In Minnesota, 73 community health centers received a total of $11.5 million to fund these improvements. In 2010, the Affordable Care Act created the Prevention and Public Health Fund. This new fund was created for wellness promotion, disease prevention, and protection against public health emergencies. Minnesota has already received a total of $18.3 million to support its policies, programs, and communities to help its residents lead healthier lives.