March 5, 2012
OLYMPIA – A landmark piece of health care reform passed the House and Senate – and is now heading for the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
“Passage of this legislation puts Washington in the forefront of health care reform,” said Rep. Eileen Cody (D-West Seattle). “Health coverage for all has been a value of our state for years. So we have historically been in the lead – whether it’s covering all kids, establishing the Basic Health Plan or passing consumer protections for patients. This is the next step.”
House Bill 2319 is the next step toward implementing national health care reform (the Affordable Care Act) in Washington state. It contains reforms to ensure that Washington state will be ready to make health care more accessible, portable and affordable once the Affordable Care Act coverage provisions are implemented in January 2014.
“A lot of people are worried that if they change jobs, they lose health coverage for their family,” said Rep. Cody, who works as a registered nurse and chairs the House Health Care and Wellness Committee. “With the new state and national reforms, health coverage is portable. It’s also more affordable, through innovations like the Health Benefits Exchange.”
The Exchange is a new way for consumers and small employers to shop for health insurance, making it easier to compare health plans and get a better price for the coverage you want. (Please see sidebar.)
Washington state already tries to make sure every child has health coverage, be it private health insurance or otherwise. The Exchange and other reforms are aimed at the largest remaining groups of people without health coverage: young adults, college students, workers at small businesses, the self-employed and people who can’t afford to buy health coverage on the individual market.
“Health coverage is one of the basics,” Rep. Cody said. “Your family needs a home, food on the table, clothes, health care – it’s just fundamental, and my our goal with this legislation was to make it easier for every family, rich or poor, to get affordable health care for their loved ones.
Sidebar: Fact sheet about health care reform
A better way to shop for health care – HB 2319 helps implement national health care reform (the Affordable Care Act) in our state. A major piece of that reform is the Health Benefits Exchange, a new way to buy health coverage. Individuals and families without Medicare, Medicaid or employer-sponsored health coverage and with an income below 400-percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible for tax credits for health care premiums.
The Health Benefits Exchange will:
– Protect consumers by making it easier to shop for health plans and truly compare prices, services offered and quality of care
– Help those with chronic health problems or high-cost illnesses get health coverage
– Establish minimum standards for consumer protection, covered services, healthcare provider selection and financial solvency.
– Ensures that health plans sold through the exchange include “essential health benefits” for Washington state, including hospital, physician care, and prescription drugs as well as mental health, chemical dependency and rehabilitation services.
Other provisions of HB 2319:
– Puts in a framework to continue our state’s successful Basic Health Plan, which will soon be funded with federal funds.
– Helps people with serious health problems get affordable coverage through our state’s high risk pool or the Exchange.
What national health care means in our state right now
HB 2319 sets the stage for full implementation of the Affordable Care Act beginning in January 2014. But, under the ACA, a number of major changes have already been implemented that benefit Washingtonians.
If you have kids in college or just starting out, they can get health coverage through your policy up to age 26. The new law also prohibits health plans from placing lifetime limits on the dollar value of coverage and restricts annual limits on the dollar value of coverage, with annual limits eliminated in 2014.
Health plans cannot deny children coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions or include pre-existing condition exclusions for children. New or renewed health plans are required to cover preventive medicine like immunization shots for kids.
Medicare recipients also benefit. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are providing a 50-percent discount on brand-name prescriptions filled in the Medicare Part D coverage gap. There are also federal subsidies for generic prescriptions with Medicare Part D. Cost-sharing has been eliminated for Medicare-covered preventive services recommended (rated A or B) by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
After January 1, 2014, Washingtonians will see additional benefits, such as near-universal health insurance.
Most Americans will have health coverage in 2014 via a number of pathways: (1) a substantial expansion of Medicaid, (2) tax credits for private health coverage if you buy it through the new state insurance exchanges and (3) new insurance rules to prevent health insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums to people with pre-existing health conditions.
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Contact: Rep. Eileen Cody
360-786-7978
Print-quality photo:
https://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Representatives/PublishingImages/Cody.jpg
