| As an authorized agency and online health insurance | | | | to buy plans that have varying levels of coverage. |
| quote provider, in North Carolina, we wish to share with | | | | -Health plans will no longer have annual or lifetime |
| readers the main outcomes of the new health care | | | | benefit limits. |
| law. Our goal is to present the information in | | | | -The only way a people will be dropped from |
| easy-to-read terms. We encourage those interested | | | | insurance coverage is if they make false statements |
| to refer to the federal health care website for all | | | | on the insurance application in order to obtain plan |
| updates, details, legal definitions and the most accurate | | | | acceptance or get better terms or rates. |
| terminology on the subject. Information may also be | | | | -Employers with small companies may be given |
| found online at BCBSNC's website. Our goal is to | | | | money by the government if they provide their |
| cover the "broad strokes" of what we know about | | | | employees with health plans and meet other |
| the law. | | | | requirements. (Employers must have fewer than 25 |
| Many aspects of the health care law that went into | | | | employees, and employees must earn under $50,000 |
| effect this past March will be determined and put into | | | | each.) |
| effect in the next 8 years. It's a process that will unfold | | | | -Starting in 2014 "American Health Benefit Exchanges" |
| over time. | | | | will be available and will be started either by the states |
| To summarize: | | | | or by the US government. With this plan, those who |
| -Most adults in the US will be mandated to be covered | | | | need to buy insurance can shop at the exchange. The |
| by a health plan. If one does not have insurance | | | | exchange is likely to be available also for small |
| through an employer, and one doesn't buy their own | | | | employers and for employees who don't have |
| insurance, the penalty will rise over a few years to a | | | | coverage. One of the goals of the exchange is to help |
| maximum of $695 per person per year by 2014, or | | | | people maintain their insurance when they change jobs, |
| 2.5% of the household income, whichever is more. | | | | but there are issues with this, and the insurance |
| -Which adults are mandated? It appears that if the | | | | obtained through the exchanges might not be |
| least costly plan one can buy costs more than 8% of | | | | completely "portable". How exchanges might otherwise |
| one's income, and if that income is below the federal | | | | function is not yet known. |
| poverty line, then this rule does not apply. With this | | | | -For those who cannot afford insurance: The federal |
| person, it appears that Medicaid eligibility would apply. | | | | agencies are working out how to deal with subsidies. |
| -No one can be turned away from having insurance | | | | About 20 million households will be able to be |
| for pre-existing conditions and no one will be delayed | | | | subsidized. Medicaid is the program by which state and |
| from having insurance coverage because of | | | | federal programs offer medical assistance to those |
| pre-existing conditions. | | | | who are considered poor or disabled. The Medicaid |
| -Health status and pre-existing conditions will not affect | | | | pool will increase considerably as the new health care |
| the cost of health coverage, though people will be able | | | | bill allows more people to fit into this category. |