• Your Guide to Healthcare Reform

     
     
     
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    If you or someone in your family has cardiovascular disease, chances are you're already very busy scheduling doctors' appointments, researching treatment options, and working hard to stay on track with taking medications, preparing healthy meals, and exercising. In other words, managing your health and the health of your family is a full-time job and most of us already don't have a moment to spare with our lives packed full with work and other responsibilities. 

    That means very few of us have time to read, let alone interpret, the nearly 1,000-page healthcare reform law passed in March 2010 even though it has been billed as the most sweeping change to federal health law in more than 40 years. This guide is designed to help you quickly and easily understand the key pieces of the Affordable Care Act (the Act), when changes go into effect, and what it all means for you and your family.

    Proponents of the law describe it as an essential attempt to reform the U.S. healthcare system and improve access to quality medical care. Opponents argue that it is unconstitutional and will lead to increased spending and taxes. The Obama Administration asserts that the purpose of the legislation is to:

    • Assure affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans
    • Remove obstacles to coverage for people with pre-existing conditions
    • Maintain coverage in the event of job loss or change
    • Safeguard families from bankruptcies related to health expenses
    • Guarantee choice of doctors and coverage plans
    • Shrink long-term cost increases in health care for businesses and the government
    • Improve quality of care and patient safety
    • Invest in preventive care and wellness

    Does the Act accomplish these goals? That's up to you to decide. But whether or not you agree with the changes, it is important to know how healthcare reform affects your access to care and the quality of care you and your family receive so that you can make the best possible decisions when it comes to your cardiovascular health and wellness.

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    Learn more about healthcare reform and what it means for you and your family. Dr. Peter L. Duffy, Pinehurst Cardiology Consultants, North Carolina, shares the best websites for information.

     

  • More on Healthcare Reform

    Consumer Protections

    Another goal of healthcare reform is to protect us from abuses by insurance companies.

    Emphasis on Prevention

    Key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (the Act) passed in 2010 recognize that too many of us fail to get the care we need to prevent serious illness. Cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer in this country, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many things we can do to lessen our risk for cardiovascular disease and many other diseases.

    Expansion of Coverage

    Access to quality health care for you and your family is influenced by a number of factors that include your insurance status, income, race, gender, age, and where you live.

    Health Homes

    One way that the provisions of the Affordable Care Act address the rising cost of care is by exploring new options for delivering care in a more effective and efficient way that provides the best care for the patient. Health homes or medical homes represent one of these new delivery models.

    How Will Healthcare Reform Affect My Access to Care?

    Now that the Affordable Care Act has been signed into law, you may be wondering what's changed and how it will affect your access to quality health care for you and your family.

    How Will Healthcare Reform Affect My Quality of Care?

    One phrase heard time and again in the debate on healthcare reform and the Affordable Care Act is quality of care. But what does that term really mean for patients?

    Impact on Medicare

    Medicare provides healthcare for over 40 million Americans. So it’s not surprising that strengthening and improving that program is a major goal of healthcare reform in the United States and the Affordable Care Act (the Act) passed in March 2010.

    What Is the Cost of Healthcare Reform?

    One of the biggest concerns about healthcare reform and the new law is how to afford it. According to USDebtClock.org on March 24, 2011, the U.S. outstanding debt weighed in at $14,241,546,161,924.46. That’s $45,901.93 per citizen. And the country is about $1.3 trillion over budget. Even if we all agree that it makes economical sense in the long run to insure the more than 10 percent of Americans who are currently uninsured, where can we find the money to pay for it?

    When Does Healthcare Reform Go into Effect?

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the Act) was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. Some provisions went into effect immediately while other provisions are scheduled for implementation over the next few years. The following timeline shows the effective dates of key provisions and provides links to more detailed information.