Six months after health reform became law, benefits are coming into effect that will help New Mexico families. The Affordable Care Act required insurance companies to implement a number of reforms by September 23. These changes include increased access to preventive care like colonoscopies and immunizations, an extension of coverage for children under 26 and new protections against insurance industry abuses. These are crucial reforms that will mean increased access for many New Mexicans.
Here's an overview of the new changes from HealthCare.gov :
Insurers Will No Longer Be Able To:
- Deny coverage to kids with pre-existing conditions. Health plans cannot limit or deny benefits or deny coverage for a child younger than age 19 simply because the child has a pre-existing condition like asthma.
- Put lifetime limits on benefits. Health plans can no longer put a lifetime dollar limit on the benefits of people with costly conditions like cancer
- Cancel your policy without proving fraud. Health plans can't retroactively cancel insurance coverage - often at the time you need it most - solely because you or your employer made an honest mistake on your insurance application.
- Deny claims without a chance for appeal. In new health plans, you now have the right to demand that your health plan reconsider a decision to deny payment for a test or treatment. That also includes an external appeal to an independent reviewer.
Consumers in New Health Plans Will Be Able to:
- Receive cost-free preventive services. New health plans must give you access to recommended preventive services such as screenings, vaccinations and counseling without any out-of-pocket costs to you.
- Keep young adults on a parent's plan until age 26. If your health plan covers children, you can now most likely add or keep your children on your health insurance policy until they turn 26 years old if they don't have coverage on the job.
- Choose a primary care doctor, ob/gyn and pediatrician. New health plans must let you choose the primary care doctor or pediatrician you want from your health plan's provider network and let you see an OB-GYN doctor without needing a referral from another doctor.
- Use the nearest emergency room without penalty. New health plans can't require you to get prior approval before seeking emergency room services from a provider or hospital outside your plan's network - and they can't require higher copayments or co-insurance for out-of-network emergency room services.
If you've been waiting for these benefits, contact your health insurance provider to see how you can take advantage of the new reforms.
