An Unbiased Look at Healthcare Reform

No matter which side of the issue you are on, there is no denying that March 23rd, 2010 will go down as a notable day in the annals of the United States with the signing into law of the Healthcare Reform bill. Numerous presidents and legislators throughout history had made attempts at addressing this issue, and while many may still be wondering “what just happened?” it is clear that much change is on the horizon.

A number of people have a number of questions on how this bill will affect them, and while different changes will happen at different times, we have broken down the changes into two categories:

Changes forthcoming for 2010:

No annual caps or limits
No rejections based on pre-existing conditions
Young adults covered to age 26 on parent’s policy
Drug discounts for seniors
Tax breaks for small businesses

Changes that will occur by 2014:

Health Insurance Exchange
No discrimination allowed
Tax breaks for consumers
Medicaid expansion to include childless adults

There will be much debate to ponder over in the upcoming weeks, months and years. Time will advise us of the pro's and con's established within this piece of legislation. Let's always remember change is not easy but with change there is opportunity.

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Pam Argeris is a thought leader in the Healthcare Industry and possesses extensive, hands-on experience with CMS compliance, and multiple regulatory bodies such as NCQA, JACHO, and DOI. In her role at Merrill Corp., Pam focuses on developing solutions for compliance and quality assurance, delivered in a cost effective manner to improve beneficiary and prospect communications. You can contact Pam at Pamela.Argeris@merrillcorp.com.