Radio Smart Talk: 2013 healthcare changes

Radio Smart Talk for Friday, January 18:

Americans may be living through the calm before the storm of healthcare reform this year.

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, there will be new healthcare rules and changes in 2013, but 2014 shapes up as the headliner for President Obama’s signature piece of legislation. That’s when the individual mandate that requires all Americans to obtain health insurance or face fines becomes law. It also is when insurance companies must accept customers, even if they have a pre-existing condition.

That doesn’t mean changes for 2013 are insignificant. As of January 1, a number of tax law-related changes went into effect. Other changes include increased Medicaid payments to primary care doctors and more funding to Children’s Health Insurance (CHIPS) programs.

The most visible part of the new law for patients could be improvements in preventive health coverage. There will be new funding to state Medicaid programs that choose to cover preventive services for patients at little or no cost.

As part of witf‘s ongoing Transforming Health project, Friday’s Radio Smart Talk will examine and answer questions about ACA changes implemented in 2013.

Listen to the program: {mp3remote}http://witf.vo.llnwd.net/o35/smarttalk/radiosmarttalk/RST_January182013.mp3{/mp3remote}