Presentation Transcript

1. 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) The New Health Reform Law: What It Means for Kentuckians

2. Who are we? We’re a coalition of concerned Kentuckians who believe that the best health care solutions are found when everyone works together to build them. Right now, families and businesses in every county are facing rising costs, and too many of us go without needed health care. Healthy families create healthy economies. And a healthy Kentucky is something we all want. So we’re working step by step to build a healthier Kentucky for everyone.
3. KVH Priorities Assure that all Kentuckians have access to high-quality, affordable health care Make prevention a priority for Kentucky’s health policies and programs Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health care for Kentuckians Improve the health of Kentucky’s children
4. Health Reform Making a Difference for Kentuckians Providing new coverage options for young adultsMore than 50,000 young adults under 26 in Kentucky gained insurance coverage as a result of the health care law. 
5. Health Reform Making a Difference for Kentuckians Removing lifetime limits on health benefitsThe law bans insurance companies from imposing lifetime dollar limits on health benefits . More than 1.4 million Kentuckians no longer have to worry about going without treatment if they hit the limit.
6. Health Reform Making a Difference for Kentuckians Covering preventive services with no deductible or co-pay An estimated 975,000 Kentuckians with private health insurance received preventive care with no out of pocket costs.
7. Health Reform Making a Difference for Kentuckians Making prescription drugs affordable for seniorsKentucky seniors in the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” received drug discounts worth more than $111 million. More than 70,000 Kentucky seniors got discounts last year alone.
8. Health Reform Making a Difference for Kentuckians Better value for health premiums Almost 250,000 Kentuckians got rebates from their health insurers. The reason for the rebates: the ACA requires health insurers to spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on health care, or give back the difference.
9. Coverage for Individuals with Pre-Existing Conditions Stop denials of coverage Eliminate higher premiums based on health status or gender
10. A Consumer-Friendly Insurance Marketplace Standardize plans Promote competition Ability to Compare Greater Transparency KY Health Benefit Exchange http://healthbenefitexchange.ky.gov
11. Why is the Exchange good for Kentuckians? Offer coverage choices for all, regardless of place of work (Create a safety net for job loss) Subsidies to help families Tax credits to help small businesses Tax Calculator: http://www.smallbusinessmajority.com/ State-based Exchange can better respond to Kentucky’s needs High low income population Poor health rankings
12. Medicaid may be expanded Provide help for those affected by the recession Offer help to middle-income families Provide subsidies to buy insurance Help for Families
13. Making the Case for Medicaid Expansion Good for Kentucky Good for the Economy Good for Health
14. Unprecedented Opportunity for Coverage  In 2014, the ACA establishes a new national floor of Medicaid coverage at 138% of poverty level. Almost 400,000 uninsured Kentuckians would become eligible for Medicaid coverage if KY moves forward on expansion. Kentucky would benefit from this expansion more than any other state as more than half (57%) of our uninsured population could receive coverage.
15. A Bargain for Kentucky The federal government will pick up 100% of the state’s expansion cost until 2017, Kentucky will not have to expend any state funds for the first three years of the expansion. The financial bottom line: Kentucky can take advantage of new federal funds without spending any state money from 2014 to 2017. State’s cost of the expansion in 2020 and beyond will only be 10 cents on the dollar.
16. Good for the Economy An investment of $547 million in state funds will boost Kentucky’s economy and create over 14,000 jobs. It could bring in more than $11 billion in additional federal Medicaid funding from 2014 to 2019 that will go to health providers. Expanding coverage will generate million in total savings.
17. Need for Coverage
18. Putting Kentuckians First To effectively meet our health challenges, policymakers need to take action to expand Medicaid. More than 95% of Kentucky’s non-elderly uninsured residents may qualify for either tax credits to purchase coverage in the Marketplace or for Medicaid if Kentucky participates in the Medicaid expansion. Failing to act will leave thousands of Kentucky families with no health coverage, forcing them to seek care in an with no way to pay the bill—costs estimated at more than $1 billion per year that all of us must eventually pay.
19. The law is projected to expand coverage to 32 million people. This new law is not perfect, but neither were Social Security or Medicare when they were first enacted. Both were improved over the years. Health reform advocates need to be informed, vigilant and engaged to ensure that reform is properly implemented at both federal and state levels. Conclusion
20. Questions?Regan Hunt, MPAExecutive Director, Kentucky Voices for Healthkvhexec@kyvoicesforhealth.org