(RxWiki News) A number of provisions from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) took effect this New Years Day. Meanwhile, Republicans are mounting their offense to repeal the law.
Among the newly enacted requirements: Insurers must spend at least 80 percent of premium revenue on healthcare, instead of on items including CEO salaries. If they do not comply with this requirement, beginning in 2012, the insurers must pay the difference to their customers in the form of a rebate.
Medicare recipients will receive certain preventive services free of charge in an effort to curb high, long-term healthcare costs associated with preventable conditions such as obesity.
In the Medicare Prescription Drug Program (Part D) coverage gap, recipients are eligible for 50 percent discounts on name-brand drugs and seven percent discounts on generic drugs.
Community health centers will also receive more funding as part of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provisions.
If a parents' insurance plan offers coverage to dependants, under the ACA, the insurance coverage policy must allow dependants (kids) to remain on their parents’ policy until they turn 26.
Meanwhile, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) has introduced legislation to repeal the ACA as well as all healthcare-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. A vote on the bill was scheduled for January 12, but has been postponed.
Democrats in the House of Representatives have filed four amendments to the repeal bill. The Democrats' amendments seek to preserve measures in the current ACA that offer seniors free preventive care, extend coverage to dependents up to age 26, ban discrimination against individuals with preexisting conditions, and ban lifetime health benefit limits.
