March 23, 2010 - By a narrow 219 - 212
vote, the House of Representatives voted to send H.R. 3590, "The
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," to the President for his
signature, handing the President a significant political victory.
What happens next:
- President Barack Obama is expected to sign this bill into
law this week.
- The Senate must now consider negotiated changes to the
package through the Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872), which also
passed the House last night.
- Department of Health and Human Services must draft
implementing regulations.
- Several states have already publically discussed legal
challenges to H.R. 3590.
What this means for your business:
Many provisions will not be implemented until at least 2014;
however, a number of changes can be expected this year, including:
- Insurance companies will be forbidden from denying
coverage to sick children
- Adult children can stay on their parents' policies until
they are 26
- Small businesses will receive tax credits to help them
buy insurance for their employees
- All new policies will be required to cover preventive
care, including annual physical exams
- The practice of dropping insured people when they get
sick will be banned
- A high-risk pool will be created to subsidize adults with
pre-existing conditions
- For seniors, some medicines will become cheaper and the
donut hole will be reduced somewhat
We'll continue to analyze the full impact of this legislation
and provide more details as they become available.
The industry's position:
Last Friday, we urged members to ask their Representatives to
vote against this legislation for the following reasons:
- Does not allow small business pooling across state lines
- Adds a new $2,000 per employee penalty on many employers
- Raises costs of drugs and many medical services
- Does not provide meaningful tort reform
- Adds new costs and regulations on businesses
Even though the bill has passed, AH&LA will continue
working with Congress to ensure the best interest of our industry is
protected. Please direct any questions on this matter to AH&LA Vice
President of Governmental Affairs Kevin Maher at [email protected].