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  • The Individual Mandate: How Sweeping?

    Perspective

    The so-called "individual mandate"  – the provision under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires most individuals to carry a minimum level of insurance coverage and is now being considered by the Supreme Court – has emerged as the least popular element of the reform law and the prime target for its opponents. Yet in practice, the mandate may not be quite as far-reaching as the controversy over it suggests. The vast majority of Americans already…

  • Health Insurance Transparency under the Affordable Care Act

    Perspective

    In February, a final rule was issued implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that all health plans provide a uniform summary of coverage for all enrollees and applicants. The idea of providing easy-to-understand summaries of coverage is, in fact, the most popular provision in the ACA, according to a recent Kaiser tracking poll. That finding suggests powerful consumer frustration over the complexity of health insurance and the difficulty people face evaluating health insurance choices and understanding…

  • Policy and Political Implications of the Supreme Court Case on the Affordable Care Act

    Event Date:
    Event

    This webcast features a Kaiser Family Foundation briefing held on March 14, 2012, examining the policy and political implications of the pending U.S. Supreme Court case on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). At the briefing, the Foundation released new polling data on the public’s views about the case as well as their more general views about the health reform law. Participants included: Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman (moderator)Joe Onek, Principal, The Raben Group Sheila…

  • Explaining Health Care Reform: Medical Loss Ratio (MLR)

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet explains the Medical Loss Ratio requirement under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The MLR provision limits the portion of premium dollars health insurers may spend on administration, marketing, and profits. Under health care reform, health insurers must publicly report the portion of premium dollars spent on health care and quality improvement and other activities in each state they operate. Insurers failing to meet the applicable standard must pay rebates to consumers and…

  • Private Insurance Benefits and Cost-Sharing Under the ACA

    Perspective

    The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released guidance on the two key components that determine the level of protection that private insurance plans will provide to consumers under health reform. The first involves the services that insurance plans must cover, and the second involves how much patients must pay out-of-pocket for those services. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) establishes new rules for what insurers must provide for both components starting in 2014.…

  • Betting on Private Insurers

    Perspective

    Just-released estimates of national health spending in 2010 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) show that 45% of our health care spending is financed by the federal and state governments, primarily through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This share has grown temporarily in recent years because of the economic downturn, as private insurance has declined and Medicaid has grown. It has also increased due to our demographic destiny: the growing cohort of baby…

  • La reforma del cuidado de salud llega al público

    Video

    ¿Esta confundido acerca de cómo la nueva ley de reforma de salud realmente funciona? Este video explica los problemas relacionados con el sistema de salud actual, los cambios que están sucediendo ahora, y los cambios importantes que se anticipan para el 2014.

  • The California Endowment and the Kaiser Family Foundation Release “Health Reform Hits Main Street” Animation in Spanish

    News Release

    Health Reform Explained – En Español  MENLO PARK, Calif. (January 12, 2012) – Today, The California Endowment and the Kaiser Family Foundation are releasing a Spanish-language version of “Health Reform Hits Main Street,” the popular animation that explains the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Written and produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Spanish-language version of the animated movie features narration by a partner of The Endowment, Dra. Isabel Gómez-Bassols, psychologist and host…

  • Explaining Health Reform: How will the Affordable Care Act affect Small Businesses and their Employees?

    Fact Sheet

    Several provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will likely have significant effects on small businesses, their employees, and families. Currently, smaller businesses are less likely to offer health insurance coverage to their employees than larger companies: 57% of small businesses with 50 or fewer workers offered health benefits to employees, compared to 92% of businesses with 51 to 100 workers, and 97% of businesses with 101 or more workers in 2011.1  This fact sheet explains…