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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