The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (US Congress)
Text of H.R. 3590 (Now P.L. 111-148)

Health Care and Reconciliation Act of 2010 (US Congress)
Text of H.R. 4872 (Now P.L. 111-152)

What the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act actually says about the Community First Choice Option or changes to the state plan option for HCBS (1915i)
Section 2401 C - Community First Choice Option
Sec 2402 - HCBS changes to 1915i
Section 2406 - Sense of the Senate Regarding Long-Term Care

Actions Helpful to Senior Citizens in Health Care Bill Promoted by Senate Aging Chairman (Senior Journal) 3-23-10
Several provisions of the Health Care Reform Bill that was signed into law by President Obama were long-championed by the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI). All were supported by Kohl as being helpful to senior citizens.

CMS Sends Medicare Mailing to Beneficiaries to Educate Them on the New Affordable Care Act and What it Means for Medicare (Medical News Today - 5/26/10)
Medicare beneficiaries will soon receive important information in the mail about the immediate benefits they may see from the enactment of the Affordable Care Act.

Consumers Guide to Health Reform (Kaiser Health News) 4-13-10
The new health reform law is the most far-reaching health legislation since the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Here is a look at the impact of the law, which will extend insurance coverage to 32 million additional Americans by 2019, but which will also have an effect on almost every citizen.

Do You Support Healthcare for People with Disabilities? (Spinal Cord Advocates)
Given all of the TV, radio and news coverage on healthcare reform it can be difficult to understand the reform effort and the details that are in it. You might find yourself asking, “What does healthcare reform mean for me?” “Why should I support this reform effort?”……

Health Bill Provision on Long-Term Care Will Affect Baby Boomers (Kaiser Health News - 4/13/10)
One of the lesser-known provisions in the new health law may have one of the biggest and longest-lived impacts. As baby boomers edge into their 60s, many wonder how they will get care, if they're unable to care for themselves.

Health Care Reform and Low-Income Older Adults: an Overview (National Senior Citizens Law Center - 4/10)
A summary of provisions of the new law that impact low-income older adults.

Health Care Reform Benefits (DD News Blog - 8/9/10)
Family Voices, an organization devoted to family-centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs, has written a statement on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act summarizing benefits. They give some useful examples of situations in which the benefits will be of particular interest to parents of children with disabilities. A document on the immediate benefits available is found here.

Health Care Reform Explained (AARP Bulletin - 7/710)
Your questions answered.
Patti's Comment: This is a great resource for questions related to health care reform.

Health Care Reform Provisions Affecting Older Adults and Persons with Special Needs (NAELA)
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed a comprehensive health care reform bill into law. On March 30, he signed the Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872) which modifies H.R. 3590. Taken together, these two bills comprise the health care reform package.

How Many More Adult Children Will Be Covered Under Health Reform (Wolters Kluwer - 8/10/10)
There is reason to believe that government estimates of the dependent-child mandate underestimate the size of the population that might enroll in their parents' employment-based coverage, according to study published by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

Implementation and the Legacy of Health Care Reform (New England Journal of Medicine)
The stakeholders in Washington, D.C., know all too well that the players who will wield the most influence over how the law’s reforms are integrated into the nation’s health care system do not reside in the Capitol Building. The new power brokers will be housed in the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, and myriad federal departments and agencies - particularly the Department of Health and Human Services, which will administer the bulk of the new act’s phased-in provisions.

Implications of Health Reform for Mental Health Care (Psychiatric Services - 5/10)
Provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama on March 23 will benefit people who have mental and substance use disorders and their families, improve care in the public mental health system, and address the mental health workforce crisis.

Kaiser Foundation Reports Aimed at Informing Debate on Health Care Reform
Three new reports and a video examine the range of health care needs and costs that people face today and the scope of coverage that may be available to them under health reform. One of the reports, Individuals With Special Needs and Health Reform: Adequacy of Health Insurance Coverage, is particularly relevant to people with serious mental illnesses. This and other reports can be accessed at the link above.

Needs of Alzheimer Population Addressed in Healthcare Reform Legislation (Alzheimer's Assn.)
While the Association did not endorse any specific healthcare reform legislation, the Association did work to ensure that all bills under consideration contained the strongest provisions possible to address the particular challenges and concerns of the more than 5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s. Several provisions in the final measure would deliver substantial benefits to those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and to their caregivers.

Predicting the Future (Kaiser Family Foundation - 5/6/10)
A fair amount of attention was given recently to projections made by the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) about the new health reform law, and how they compare to previous estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). No doubt the various projections will be grist for claims made in the upcoming political season, so it is important to be clear about the differences between the two estimates and to keep in mind what this kind of statistical modeling does and does not do.

What's in Health Care Reform for Elders? (Time Goes By) - 4-24-10
Many subscribers are concerned about potential cuts to their Medicare Advantage plans or increased premiums or cuts in benefits such as free gym memberships. On the other hand, the bill requires that 85 percent of revenue be used for actual health care rather than administrative costs like high executive salaries and bonuses.

White House Gives Us the Scoop on Healthcare Reform (About.com)
Q&A from Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and information on other subjects application to parents and students.

Who's the Boss? (The Michigan Lawyer)
Gov. Jennifer Granholm, in a sternly worded, hand-delivered letter, has told Attorney General Mike Cox to back off on participating in a Florida lawsuit challenging the federal health care reform bill signed into law earlier this week.

A Summary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Modifications by the Health Care and Education Reconcilation Act of 2010 (The Scan Foundation)
This policy brief presents an analysis of the Act, covering those elements that provide support for the continuum of care for seniors.

Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About Medicaid's Role (Kaiser Family Foundation)
This brief explains the how Medicaid works today and answers some key questions about Medicaid’s role in health reform.

Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About The Extension of Dependent Coverage to Age 26 (Kaiser Family Foundation)
This short summary answers basic questions about the dependent coverage expansion and explains how the new law will interact with current state laws.

Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About The Temporary High-Risk Pool (Kaiser Family Foundation)
The health reform law creates a temporary national high-risk pool that will be created under the new health reform law to provide health coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions who have been uninsured for six months. It is a temporary measure designed to bridge the gap until the implementation of other coverage provisions in the law that will take effect in January 2014. The law establishes basic requirements for the high-risk pool program that will be implemented in June 2010. This summary provides answers to basic questions about the the program.

Health Care Reform and the Class Act (Kaiser Family Foundatio - 4/10)
This brief describes the major components of the CLASS program, including eligibility, benefits, financing, and interaction with Medicaid.

Health Care Reform Provisions Affecting Older Adults and Persons with Special Needs
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed a comprehensive health care reform bill (H.R. 3590) into law. On March 30, he signed the Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872) which modifies H.R. 3590. Taken together, these two bills comprise the health care reform package. Important provisions for older adults and people with special needs are outlined here.

Health Reform for Americans with Disabilities (White House)
The Affordable Care Act gives Americans with Disabilities greater control over their own health care.

Health Reform Provisions That Could Impact Consumer-Driven Health Plans (HSA Consulting Services)
The health care reform legislation will likely have a modest impact on consumer-driven health plans and their associated health care accounts.

How the New Health Care Law Benefits You (AARP)
Congress enacted a new health care law which brings a number of benefits to all Americans, including people over 50. Whether you are on Medicare, buy insurance on your own or through your employer, or can't afford health insurance, the changes to the health care system will affect you.

Immediate Benefits in Health Insurance Reform for Americans 50+ (AARP)
Although all the elements of health care reform that will benefit you won't go into effect overnight, here are critical improvements that will be felt right away.

Impact of Healthcare Reform on People With Disabilities (United Spinal Assn./National Spinal Cord Injury Assn.)
Provides the inside story on healthcare reform, including a straighforward interpretation of insurance market reforms, mandatory health plan coverage provisions, services, outpatient caps and Medicaid eligibility requirements, new standards that ensure medical equipment in doctors' offices are accessible.

Medicare and the New Health Care Law - What It Means For You (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Medicare beneficiaries across the country should begin receiving copies of a brochure "Medicare and the New Health Law - What it Means for You" in their mailboxes. The mailing from CMS outlines key provisions of the Affordable Care Act for people with Medicare as well as members of their families. For more information, see e-lert from NLRC.

Summary of New Health Reform Law (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Summary of the new law, and changes made to the law by subsequent legislation, focuses on provisions to expand coverage, control health care costs, and improve health care delivery system.

The Affordable Care Act's New Patient's Bill of Rights (HealthReform.gov - 6/22/10)
A major goal of the Affordable Care Act is to put American consumers back in charge of their health coverage and care.

The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act - Section-by-Section Analysis
Title I - Coverage, Medicare, Medicaid and Revenues

The New Health Care Law: Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit & Closing the Doughnut Hole (AARP)
Under the new health care law, people enrolled in Medicare Part D this year who fall into the coverage gap, or "doughnut hole," will get an extra $250 to help pay for their drug costs. This is the first step toward closing the doughnut hole, which will be eliminated in 2020.

HealthCare.gov
The Obama administration recently launched the website as an online tool connecting consumers with information and resources to help them access quality, affordable health coverage. The resource also has a specific section for persons with disabilities.

Health Care Reform (National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care)
The passage of health care reform will create the most significant improvements and changes in long-term care in a generation. This site provides several links with informative resources.

Health Reform Center (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
The Department of Health and Human Services has been entrusted with the responsibility for implementing many major provisions of the historic health reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which the President signed into law on March 23, 2010.

Kaiser Family Foundation
Health Reform issues gateway website.

Your Small Business and Health Care Reform (US Small Business Administration)
Learn more about how health care reform will benefit your small business, employees and their families.