As the official date of open enrollment, of the Health Insurance Market Place, fast approaches, October 1, 2013, we look forward
to the benefits that the New Health Insurance January 1, 2014 will
provide.
Major federal investments to improve the quality of care are
improving the management of chronic diseases that are prevalent among different ethnic groups.
The health care workforce will be more diverse, due to a near
tripling of the National Health Services Corp.
Investments in data collection and research will help us better understand the causes of health care disparities and develop effective programs to eliminate them.
Targeted inventions, such as Community Transformation Grants, will promote healthy lifestyles, lowering healthcare costs and reducing health disparities
The Affordable Care Act and Women
Applicable in 2014 and Thereafter
• An estimated 8.7 million American women currently purchasing individual insurance will gain coverage for maternity services.
• Insurance companies in the individual and small group markets will no longer be permitted to charge higher rates due to gender or health status.
• 18.6 million uninsured women will have new opportunitis for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
• State Medicaid programs will be able to offer more
opportunities to women who need personal assistance or long-term care and wish to stay at home and in the community, rather than enter a nursing home.
The Affordable Care Act and African Americans
Coming Soon:
• 6.8 million uninsured African Americans will have new opportunities for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Of the 6.8 million uninsured African Americans who are eligible for coverage through the Marketplace, 56 percent are men.
• The Marketplace is a destination where consumers can compare
insurance options in simple, easy to understand language. At the Marketplace, consumers will be able to compare insurance options based on price, benefits, quality and other factors with a clear picture of premiums and cost-sharing amounts to help them choose the insurance that best fits their needs.
• Consumers may be eligible for free or low cost coverage, or advance
premium tax credits that lower monthly premiums right away. Individuals with higher incomes (up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or $94,200 for a family of four) will be eligible to purchase subsidized coverage from the Health Insurance Marketplace.
• States have new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage to include Americans with family incomes at or below 133
percent of the federal poverty level (generally $31,322 for a family of four in 2013). This expansion includes adults without dependent children living at home, who have not previously been eligible in most states.
The Affordable Care Act and Latinos
Coming Soon:
• 10.2 million uninsured Latinos will have new opportunities for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Of the 10.2 million uninsured Latinos who are eligible for coverage through the
Marketplace, 55 percent are men.
• The Marketplace is a destination where consumers can compare insurance options in simple, easy to understand language. At the Marketplace, consumers will be able to compare insurance
options based on price, benefits, quality and other factors with a clear picture of premiums and cost-sharing amounts to help them choose the insurance that best fits their needs.
• Consumers may be eligible for free or low cost
coverage, or advance premium tax credits that lower monthly premiums right away.
Individuals with higher incomes (up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or $94,200 for a family of four) will be eligible to purchase subsidized coverage from the Health Insurance Marketplace.
• States have new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage to include Americans with family incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level (generally $31,322 for a family of four in 2013). This expansion includes adults without dependent children living at home, who have not previously been eligible in most states.
The Affordable Care Act and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Coming Soon:
• Nearly 2 million uninsured Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders will have new opportunities for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Of the nearly 2 million uninsured Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who are eligible for coverage through the Marketplace, 50 percent are men.
• The Marketplace is a destination where consumers can
compare insurance options in simple, easy to understand language. At the Marketplace, consumers will be able to compare insurance options based on price, benefits, quality and other factors with a clear picture of premiums and cost-sharing amounts to help them choose the insurance that best fits their needs.
• Consumers may be eligible for free or low cost coverage, or
advance premium tax credits that lower monthly premiums right away. Individuals with higher incomes (up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or $94,200 for a family of four) will be eligible to purchase subsidized coverage from the Health Insurance Marketplace.
• States have new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage to include Americans with family incomes at or below 133
percent of the federal poverty level (generally $31,322 for a family of four in 2013). This expansion includes adults without dependent children living at home, who have not previously been eligible in most
states.
• ________________________________________
• [1] http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_252.pdf
• [2] http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr60/nvsr60_03.pdf
• [3] http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/disparities/cancer-health-disparities
• [4] http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6103a1.htm#tab2