March 23, 2010

President Obama signs federal health care legislation

The landmark federal health care law is comprised of two pieces of legislation that President Obama signed into law in March of this year: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

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How California is Implementing the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Learn more about what state government officials are doing to plan for and administer the sweeping changes coming to California’s health care system in the months and years ahead.

Implementing the new federal health care law in California focuses initially on 4 major tasks:

Improving Access to Private Health Insurance for Persons with Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Authorized by Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federally-funded Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) is designed to provide coverage to uninsured individuals who have been denied health insurance or been offered only unaffordable options.

Improving the Quality and Security of Private Health Insurance by Enforcing New Federal Insurance Rules

The Governor's Task Force is working with the Legislature to conform state and federal insurance laws to promote clarity and consistency and greater accountability for consumers, businesses, and insurance plans.

Developing a Health Benefit Exchange to Make it Easier to Shop For and Buy Insurance

California is working to establish a Health Benefit Exchange so that Californians buying insurance using new federal health care tax credits have access to high quality health plans.

Focusing on Prevention and Wellness

In addition to expanding coverage and changing health insurance regulations, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also aims to improve the health status of all Americans through prevention and wellness strategies.