Health Reform – 2012 Updates
2012 Medicare Updates
The Affordable Care Act became law, amid much buzz and hububb, in 2010. A few changes have already taken place. Some of these include expanding high risk health pools, raising the age for children on parent’s health plans, and preventing private insurers from denying chidlren coverage for pre-existing conditions. However, beyond the normal election year cries of protest and support, we have not heard a lot about what to expect from health reform in 2012.
I found a very handy government website page: Timeline Of The Affordable Care Act. It allows you to page through, month by month, for updates from the past and future.
Encouraging Integrated Health Systems
Effective January 1, 2012, new legislations will provide docts with incentives to form something called Accountable Care Orgainzations. If these organizations can actually save money, while providing quality care, they can keep some of the savings. Right now, this law seems to mostly affect Medicare beneficiaries.
Accountable Care Orgainzations Video From CMS
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) produced this video on changes this law is trying to bring about.
This year, most of the other changes seem to apply to reduction in paperwork, and information gathering for federal health programs.
Health Reforms Hits The Supreme Court In October.
The US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguements about health reform in March, 2012. The arguements will discuss the merits of the “mandated” portion of health reform. If that portion is not constitutuional, can the rest of the law still go forward?
An Aside About Mandatory Health Insurance
As an editorial, I feel a lot of critics of mandatory health insurance do not really understand the issue. The fact is,health insurers need coverage to be mandatory for everybody, if they have to accept everybody. Otherwise, people will probably only purchase health insurance after they already are sick, and that won’t work. Just saying…
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