The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was passed by the 111th Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. It includes several provisions that affect the Medicare program and the 57 million seniors and people with disabilities who depend on it for health insurance.
Medicare is divided into four parts—Part A, Part B, Part C and Medicaid. Each one covers different aspects of medical services and costs.
Part A
Part A of the Affordable Care Act provides subsidies to individuals and families who are unable to afford insurance. It also includes new provisions to control health care costs and improve health care delivery.
The law expanded coverage by providing access to new marketplaces, called exchanges, where people could purchase health insurance. It also provided subsidies for unemployed Americans who lost employer-based coverage.
ACA components also increased incentives for primary care providers to join together in a coordinated, cost-effective way. This is accomplished through the establishment of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that can contract directly with Medicare and share in any savings achieved while meeting specified quality thresholds.
The ACA also included a requirement that insurers cover pre-existing conditions without charge, and that plans cover preventive services with no copayments or deductibles. It also established an internet website that allows residents to find out about available options.
Part B
Part B of the Affordable Care Act is the name of a small section of the law that enacts the major changes to Medicare. This includes a new way to pay for prescription drugs, more affordable copays and deductibles and a new program that lets seniors get free preventive services at the doctor’s office.
It also allows for the creation of state-based health insurance exchanges and a temporary national high-risk pool to help lower the cost of providing insurance to those with pre-existing conditions. There are plenty of other changes to Medicare, however. This is not the place to look for a comprehensive explanation of all of them. For more details, check out the full text of the ACA or the links below. It is always a good idea to consult a professional before making decisions about your healthcare.
Part C
The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is a major overhaul of the US health care system. It provides coverage to more than 94% of Americans and includes a number of key reforms including health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.
It also has a significant impact on the cost of health care. It slows the growth in national health expenditures and helps to preserve the quality of care.
The ACA has also expanded Medicaid, a government program that provides health coverage to low-income adults and children. It did this by stipulating that states could not deny coverage to or charge more for these populations.
Part D
Part D is the ACA’s version of Medicare. It is designed to help people with high-cost prescription drugs by subsidizing their monthly premiums, a process that is called cost-sharing reductions or CSRs.
This is done by forcing insurance companies to spend at least 80% to 85% of their premiums on covered medical services. If they don’t, they have to refund their customers the difference in a process called rebates.
The ACA also introduced an internet-based tool that helps consumers navigate their health care options. The most impressive of these is the American Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) website, which was created to make it easier to shop for and compare health plans. The ACA also includes a few other goodies, such as the ability to purchase health insurance for uninsured children until age 26, and a $250 rebate for seniors to close their Medicare Part D coverage gap.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a federal-state program that provides health insurance for low income Americans. It was created along with Medicare in 1965 to help improve access to health care for poor people and their families.
It also helps lower health care costs by requiring insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of your premium dollar on medical care and quality improvements. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid eligibility to many more people, including pregnant women and children.
In addition, Medicaid offers a range of other health services. For example, it covers hospital and physician care, X-rays, laboratory tests, and home health care. Besides these basic services, most states also cover additional optional benefits, such as prescription drugs and dental care. These services are critical to ensuring the health of Medicaid enrollees and helping them stay healthy.
