Affordable Care Act's Patients' Bill Of Rights: Nearly All States Have Taken Action
As the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches, a new Commonwealth Fund report finds that 49 states and the District of Columbia have already taken action supporting the law's implementation, such as passing legislation, issuing regulations or other guidance, or actively reviewing insurer filings. Early insurance market reforms in the law include new rules for insurers such as bans on lifetime limits on benefits and dependent coverage for young adults up to age 26. The report, Implementing the Affordable Care Act: State Action on Early Market Reforms, by Katie Keith, Kevin W.
Medicare Medicaid Rule Increases Costs Without Improving Patient Outcomes For Defibrillator Implants
The cost to place an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) increased by $844 per case after a new requirement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) went into effect in February 2010, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field. That cost, if applied to the approximately 150, 000 ICDs implanted in the United States each year, translates to $126 million in additional medical costs.
News From The Annals Of Family Medicine: March April 2012
Four articles in the current issue draw attention to policy initiatives and implications of the rapidly changing U.S. health care environment. Collectively, they examine some of the challenges and opportunities facing the country following the 2010 passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Researchers Project Cost of Family Health Insurance Premiums Will Surpass Household Income by 2033 Updating estimates of who will be able to afford health insurance in the future in light of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that reformed health care payment in the United States, researchers now estimate that the cost of an average family insurance premium will surpass household income by 2033.