Another week and another set of regulations has been released by the Administration to aid the implementation of health care reform. This set addresses the law’s requirement that health plans and health insurers provide coverage for certain preventive services without imposing any cost-sharing requirements (e.g., copayment, coinsurance, deductibles). The new regulations are effective are effective for plan or policy years beginning on or after September 23, 2010; they do not apply to grandfathered plans. The regulation impacts coverage of evidence-based items or services with an “A” or “B” rating from the government list of such services–immunizations, certain screenings for infants, children and adolescents. Read what HHS has to say at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/07/20100714a.html. You can be sure that as more services are added to plans, the price tag will rise accordingly.
Mercer, the benefits consulting firm, last week put the cost of a single health reform law provision — dependent eligibility expansion — at up to an extra 2 percent increase in medical premiums beyond what would otherwise be expected for 2011. It is becoming exceedingly clear that it costs more to get more.
Tagged with: Healthcare reform • HHS • preventive care • regulations
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