By Thomas Cazneau

At the moment, health insurance may not seem like a hot priority. However, by January 1, 2014, most Americans must purchase a health insurance plan or else pay a penalty. This mandate includes young adults.

How Health Care For Young Adults Works Now
The Affordable Care Act goes into full effect on January 1, 2014. However certain parts of the legislation have already been put into place. Below are some of the aspects that currently affect health care for young adults:
• The Affordable Care Act makes it possible for those under age 26 to be insured as a dependent on their parent’s health insurance through work.
• New health insurance plans must now cover certain preventive services at no charge.

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Posted: June 14th, 2013 under Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Thomas Cazneau.
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By Thomas Cazneau

California is ending Healthy Families. This is due to a budget deal between Governor Brown and Democratic lawmakers. It’s designed to cut health insurance costs and save other health programs. At the moment, there are about 900,000 kids in the Healthy Families program. It is expected that moving all of these children to Medi-Cal will save $72 million a year by 2015.

Moving to Medi-Cal could be a bit of an uncertain journey based on the changes that need to be made. Below is information regarding how Medi-Cal affects families now and how it could affect children in 2014, the year when the Affordable Care Act goes into full effect.

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Posted: April 19th, 2013 under Child Coverage, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Thomas Cazneau.
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By Thomas Cazneau

With January 1, 2014 around the corner, it’s easy to wonder how each generation will be affected by Healthcare Reform. Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), in particular, could experience significant changes to the healthcare system as the mandate goes into place. Below are current health statistics for many baby boomers, as well as aspects about Healthcare Reform that could particularly affect them.
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Posted: March 22nd, 2013 under Health Care Reform, Thomas Cazneau.
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By Thomas Cazneau

Many changes will be made within America’s healthcare system starting January 1, 2014. By
then, all American citizens and other legal residents must obtain medical coverage or else pay
a penalty. This is due to the Affordable Care Act, which was upheld by the Supreme Court.
Although there will be a few exemptions to this mandate, most of us will be affected by
Healthcare Reform.
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Posted: March 13th, 2013 under General Interest, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Pre-existing Conditions, Thomas Cazneau.
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On January 1, 2014, when the Obamacare mandate takes effect, most Americans will be required to purchase health insurance or else pay a penalty. Why wait? We say get medical protection now, before Healthcare Reform kicks in! Here’s why:

Enrolling now familiarizes you with health plan options.
With anything that involves change, it takes time to become familiarized with whatever the new thing is. Getting a health insurance plan before the Obamacare requirement will help you get acquainted with the types of policies that are available so you can figure out what you need and which benefits you are willing to do without. This will make the transition go more smoothly for you.

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Posted: March 11th, 2013 under Associate Blogs, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Thomas Cazneau.
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By Thomas Cazneau

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act could have varying effects on Americans. Below is a summary of how health care reform could affect you, your family, or your business. For details, click Health Care Reform: Your Options Now and in 2014.

The Uninsured
One of the main mandates of the Health Care Reform is that, starting January 2014, most Americans and legal residents must obtain medical insurance. Otherwise, those who are uninsured will receive a penalty of $95 for one person or $285 per family or 1% of the income, whichever amount is greater. By 2016, the Health Reform penalty would go up to $2,085 per family or 2.5% of the income. For large companies of 50 employees or more, the penalty is $2,000 after the first 30 employees. Small businesses (less than 50 employees) are not required to offer health benefits.
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Posted: August 24th, 2012 under Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Pre-existing Conditions, Small Business, Thomas Cazneau.
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By Esmeralda Mercado

In one way or another, all Americans are impacted by the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. So, where do we go from here? How do we plan and get ready for changes, good and bad? Here are some ideas of things we can do now, before health insurance becomes mandatory, and things we can plan for in 2014.
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Posted: June 29th, 2012 under Esmeralda Mercado, Health Care Reform, Pre-existing Conditions.
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By Esmeralda Mercado

This blog is intended to give an overview of the latest Health Care Reform news with the Supreme Court, and to invite people to share their own questions and theories.

The Supreme Court Marathon
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA” or “ACA”) was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Two years later, the Supreme Court considered its constitutionality after 26 states challenged the law. The case proceedings spanned a three day marathon, from March 26 through March 28, 2012. Many were surprised to find that the lawsuit was not dismissed automatically. Oral arguments revealed that the justices were divided on the law. Many tough questions were asked and remain unanswered. The arguments boiled down to a question of jurisdiction or boundaries of power: Does the Constitution’s Commerce Clause give the government the right to force its citizens to buy medical insurance? How much control does the federal government have over the states?

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Posted: April 13th, 2012 under Esmeralda Mercado, General Interest, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance.
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What are Health Insurance Exchanges?
Today, you could shop for health insurance by contacting several insurance providers. If you are interested in getting Kaiser Permanente coverage, click affordable medical insurance. In 2014, the plan is to have you go to a single marketplace or “exchange” to shop. Imagine the convenience and time savings of going to one location to find the information you need to get medical coverage.

Health Insurance Exchanges will provide consumers a resource or tool to help them choose a medical plan. For a preview of what the tool could look like, go to HealthCare.Gov to view the “Health Insurance Finder”. The resource that will be available in 2014 will be similar to the Health Insurance Finder in that it will ask general questions about your health care and budget needs. After you provide the basic information requested, your answers will bring up a list of the health plan options offered by the various insurance companies.
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Posted: March 31st, 2011 under Health Care Reform.
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The Health Reform Law was passed with hopes of making quality healthcare more affordable and accessible. The plan was to implement iniatives over a four-year process. With 2010 and the first phase of Health Reform behind us, it’s a great time to revisit the subject to see if more Americans are able to get health insurance. For information on getting Kaiser Permanente now, click Affordable Medical Insurance.

2010 Health Reform Highlights
In 2010, the President Obama Health Reform mandated that children could no longer be denied health insurance due to pre-existing medical conditions; however, many insurers opted to discontinue offering private coverage to children, due to the high costs typically associated with treating children. In effect, children could not get private health insurance year-round, though in some states open enrollment periods were instituted.

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Posted: January 12th, 2011 under Health Care Reform.
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