After considerable debate, health care reform has been enacted. The new legal requirements for health care come from two laws. President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on March 23, and he is expected to sign the corresponding Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act on March 30, 2010.
The new health care reform laws affect employers, group health plans, and insurance contracts—and impact all aspects of plan design and coverage, including lifetime and annual dollar limits, preexisting condition exclusions, waiting periods, claims procedures, plan communications, wellness programs, retiree coverage (and the prescription drug subsidy), and flexible spending accounts. In addition, the laws impose mandates on individuals and employers to provide eligible individuals with qualifying coverage, and they also impose penalties if coverage is not provided. Plans in effect on March 23 ( "grandfathered" plans) are subject to some, but not all, of the new requirements.
The new obligations and restrictions are generally effective in 2014. However, several provisions take effect for plan years beginning after September 23, 2010 ( which means January 1, 2011, for calendar-year plans).
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