Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (also known as "Obamacare") is reshaping the way healthcare is approached in the United States. There are many changes taking place now and more changes will be enacted over the next several years. We are analyzing all information in real-time to ensure you are up to date as the process unfolds. Updates on the ACA and associated issues will be provided in this section.

What the Affordable Care Act Means to the PKD Community

Click here to view webinar slides.
Questions and Answers from the presentation.

Affordable Care Act Implementation Timeline

January 2013
Phase out of Medicare drug coverage gap or "donut hole" begins. Learn more about the "donut hole".

October 2013
Information about all insurance plans in the marketplace will becoome available and enrollment begins. If you are uninsured, you will need to enroll at this time.

January 2014
Implementation of health insurance exchanges, an online marketplace for private insurance options, starts at this time. Also, expansion of Medicaid coverage to everyone under 133% of the federal poverty limit (approximately $14,000 for an individual and $29,000 for a family of four) in some states begins. To learn where your state stands on Medicaid Expansion, click here.

2015
The Obama Administration announced the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), providing insurance options for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees, will be delayed until 2015 in states where exchanges are run fully or in part by the federal government. Small business employees will still be able to get insurance, but the states have the option to limit that to one choice rather than a variety of plans for the first year of the Affordable Care Act implementation. If you work for or own a small business, this could affect you. The states running their own exchanges could choose to enact a similar delay. Those states are Oregon, New York, New Mexico, Nevada, Minnesota, Utah, Massachusetts, California, Kentucky, Vermont, Idaho, Hawaii, Washington, Connecticut, Colorado, Rhode Island, Maryland and District of Colmbia. Learn more.

For a more detailed look at the Affordable Care Act implementation timeline, click here.

Additional Resources

Additional information about health care law, including estimated premiums www.healthcare.gov

More information about Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans, eligibility and how to apply www.pcip.gov or call 1-866-717-5826

For more information on the individual mandate and health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act www.healthreform.kff.org

Affordable Care Act and Medicaid - where each state stands on Medicaid expansion www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2012/11/09/medicaidmap

What kind of health exchange does your state offer? Find out on this map.

Health Insurance and Medicare

The PKD Foundation strives to provide our constituents with information to help them make well-informed choices about managing their disease and living with PKD. We've developed a list of the most common questions and concerns regarding private health insurance and Medicare. Learn more here. NEW!

Current Legislation Important to the PKD Patient and Family Community

There are four key health related areas which will be a focus with the next term of the Congress and Administration moving forward.

Four health related areas of focus include:

Essential Health Benefits - Details on state insurance benefits are expected to be issued by HHS in the near future.
Exchange Rules - State Health Exchange rules are expected to be issued soon, which will coincide with the January deadline by HHS for approval of state health exchange plans.
Employer Rules - Regulations are expected to be outlined in December which would include defining minimum coverage and employer compliance.
Medicaid - Regulations guidance is expected over the next few months on what choices states will make in terms of access to additional funding, if they proceed with partial or full expansion of Medicaid programs.
Understanding the Reforms via whitehouse.gov