AFFORDABLE CARE ACT NEWS ROUND-UP

The Health Insurance Marketplace is set to open for enrollment next Tuesday, October 1, 2013. Here’s a round-up of the latest news from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the lead-up to this important milestone:

• Significant choice and lower than expected premiums available in the new Health Insurance Marketplace: A new report released by HHS finds that in state after state, consumers will see increased competition in the Health Insurance Marketplace, leading to new and affordable choices for consumers.
• Nearly 6 in 10 uninsured Americans can pay less than $100 per month for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace: A new report released by HHS shows that 56 percent, or nearly six in ten of the people who don’t have health insurance today may be able to get coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace for less than $100 per month.
• Champions for Coverage join Obama administration’s effort to help Hispanic Americans understand the Health Insurance Marketplace: In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius acknowledged more than 20 Hispanic organizations and businesses that have volunteered to help uninsured Americans get coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
• Rural areas gain assistance for enrollment in Health Insurance Marketplaces: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced more than $2.5 million to educate and enroll uninsured individuals and families living in rural America in new health coverage options through the ACA.
• Health care law saves consumers $1.2 billion nationwide: A new report released by HHS shows that 6.8 million consumers saved an estimated $1.2 billion on health insurance premiums in 2012, due to the “rate review” provision of the ACA, which brought unprecedented accountability to slow the growth of health insurance premiums.
• Obama administration announces a coordinated effort to protect consumers by preventing and detecting potential fraud in the Health Insurance Marketplace: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez kicked off a comprehensive interagency initiative to prevent, protect against, and, where necessary, prosecute consumer fraud and privacy violations in the Health Insurance Marketplace.
• HHS awards Affordable Care Act funds for new health care delivery sites: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced awards of approximately $67 million to the nation’s health centers, including $19 million made available by the ACA, to establish 32 new health service delivery sites. These new sites will increase access to preventive and primary health care to more than 130,000 additional people. Read more and view lists of grantees by state.

In addition to these important HHS news items, you can learn more about how the ACA impacts people at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS by reading our fact sheet on the ACA and HIV/AIDS and viewing this video of federal leaders at the 2013 U.S. Conference on AIDS  speaking about how implementation of the ACA is supporting efforts to improve HIV prevention, care, and treatment and achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

Finally, if you’re a professional learning about the Marketplace and helping people apply, get the latest resources here.

If you’re a consumer ready to learn about and buy health insurance through the Marketplace, visit HealthCare.gov, the official consumer site for the Marketplace.

Related posts:

1. Affordable Care Act News: Navigator Final Rule Released
2. Countdown to Affordable Health Insurance
3. The Affordable Care Act and People Living with HIV/AIDS
4. One Year: The Affordable Care Act
5. Secretary Sebelius Discusses the Importance of the Affordable Care Act in Responding to HIV/AIDS