Kansas State University

May 2013 Webinars on the Health Care Law

The HHS Partnership Center continues to host a series of webinars for faith and community leaders. All webinars are open to the public and include a question and answer session.

To participate in one of the webinars, please select your preferred topic from the list below and submit the necessary information. Please click on the title of the webinar and fill out the registration form. After registering you will receive an e-mail confirmation containing information about joining the webinar. Please contact us at ACA101@hhs.gov  if you have problems registering or if you have any questions about the health care law.

NEW! Update on the Navigator Program

May 7 at 3:00 pm ET

Please join our webinar to learn about the Navigator, In-Person Assister and Certified Application Counselor programs and how to enroll others in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Information on the Navigator proposed rules will also be discussed. Participation will be limited to the first 1,000 people who join the webinar.

NEW TIME! Questions and Answers on the Health Care Law

May 10 at 2:00 pm ET

Please join us for this interactive webinar. Questions that have been asked about the health care law will be answered as well as new questions submitted online. Please send your questions prior to the webinar to ACA101@hhs.gov.

Make the Call, Don’t Miss A Beat!

May 16 at 12:00 pm Noon ET

You are invited to a webinar titled Make the Call, Don’t Miss a Beat! a webinar seeking to educate and empower women age  50+ and to encourage women to call 9-1-1 immediately when they experience any of the seven symptoms of a heart attack, and to do the same for their mothers, sisters, and friends. The HHS Office on Women’s Health’s new campaign builds on OWH’s successful “Make the Call, Don’t Miss a Beat” campaign, that began in 2011.

Haga La Llamada¡No Pierda Tiempo!

El 16 de mayo del 2013 a las 1:00 PM (Tiempo del Este)

May 16 at 1:00 pm ET

Usted está invitado/a a participar a un Webinar en español sobre la campaña de concientización sobre ataques al corazón dirigida a mujeres latinas de 50 años en adelante. La campaña, “Haga la Llamada. ¡No Pierda Tiempo!” tiene como objetivo educar y motivar a las mujeres de habla hispana a llamar al 9-1-1 inmediatamente cuando se presente alguno de los siete síntomas de un ataque al corazón y a hacer lo mismo por sus madres, hermanas y amigas. Es una campaña lanzada por La Oficina de la Salud de la Mujer del Departamento de Salud  y Servicios Humanos y el webinar es en colaboración con la HHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

The Health Care Law 101 (in Spanish)

May 21 at 3:00 pm ET

A presentation on the main provisions in the Affordable Care Act, the health care law, and how to access care in your community in Spanish. Information on the Health Insurance Marketplace, how to help enroll others in health insurance, and how to receive updates on implementation of the law will be shared.

The Health Care Law 101

May 23 at 2:00 pm ET

A presentation on the main provisions in the Affordable Care Act, the health care law, and how to access care in your community. Information on the Health Insurance Marketplace, how to help enroll others in health insurance, and how to receive updates on implementation of the law will be shared.

Lisa M. Carr, MSW, Associate Director

HHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

202-260-1931

Lisa.carr@hhs.gov

www.hhs.gov/partnerships

Though already out of date, this was an excellent overview of what the law means for consumers.

http://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/ncqa/health-reform.pdf

Well, depends who you ask.   Just do a Google search on “premiums and health care reform” and a plethora of journal articles, research studies and opinions will claim one of two main arguments:

1.) Obamacare is directly responsible for ongoing increases to consumers’ health care costs.  Premium costs are rising because of the health reform law.

OR

2.) Healthcare costs and premiums have been on the rise for years; Obamacare actually slows the rate of increase and moderates consumer’s spending on health care.  Cost savings will be recognized with time.

Let’s take a closer look at the arguments mentioned above:

Obamacare is directly responsible for ongoing increases to consumers’ health care costs.

A report released this month (March 2013) by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce credits Obamacare as the driving force in premium increases for young adults and middle-income Americans.  The report claims the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) mandated reforms  have already and will continue to result in higher costs for insurance companies which are in turn passed on to consumers.   The report cites the following ACA reforms/rules directly increase premiums for consumers:  guaranteed issue and community rating, essential health benefits (EHBs), the individual mandate and fees and taxes on plans, drugs and medical devices.

An independent report by Giesla and Carlson (February 2013) reviews the impact of age rating limits established by the ACA, which means older adults can only be charged three times that of a younger adult (currently most states have a ratio of 5:1 or higher).  This report suggests young adults aged 21-29 should expect to pay more for coverage than what they would have without the ACA.

Obamacare slows the rate of increase and moderates consumer’s spending on health care.

Some analysis claims health care costs have been sky-rocketing for years, not just since the ACA was passed in 2010. A KaiserEDU.org background brief on U.S. Healthcare Costs notes that in the United States health care costs increased significantly from 1980 to 2010, with health expenditures nearing $2.6 trillion in 2010, over 10 times the $256 billion spent in 1980. The report states some major factors in cost growth have been the rise in chronic diseases and administrative costs.  The Kaiser brief acknowledges several ACA measures aimed at cost containment including: greater government oversight and regulation of health insurer premiums and practices, increasing competition and price transparency in the sale of insurance policies through Health Insurance Exchanges, payment reforms that aim to reduce payments for treatments and hospitalizations resulting from errors or poor quality of care, and refocusing medical delivery systems to be  patient-centered and improve the coordination and quality of care.

Provisions in the Affordable Care Act used to support the argument that the ACA slows the rate of increase and moderates consumer’s spending on health care include the rate-review provision and the Medical Loss Ratio provision.  The rate-review provision mandates insurance companies must report and justify premium increases over 10%.  Under the Medical Loss Ratio Affordable Care Act provision, insurance companies are required to spend 80% of collected premiums on actual health care. Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius wrote a blog post about the Medical Loss Ratio provision and how it will save Americans money.

Finally, some proponents of the ACA say that while it may be that the expansion of coverage options and higher quality plans of the ACA increase premiums, the emphasis on quality care, case management, and better service will bring overall health care costs down.

Conclusions

So, is health reform responsible for premium increases?  We’ll end as we started- it depends on who you ask.  Regardless, whatever facts and studies one choses to rely on to support or negate the impact of health care reform, the Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land.

Thanks to ckfwi.org!

Review this webinar at your leisure.  I did the first 20 minute introduction part, a national colleague and a Wisconsin colleague did the middle section, and a Wisconsin county colleague and I chatted about what ACA means for Extension, the type of programming you can do.

http://www.ckfwi.org/acawebinar.html