HB 620, The Hemophilia Standards of Care Act Where We stand todayWE WON’T GIVE UP UNTIL WE ARE ASSURED THAT THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE ADDRESSED At the writing of this fall newsletter, HB 620, The Hemophilia Standards of Care Act is sitting idle in the Pennsylvania Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee where it has been since its unanimous passage in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on August 7, 2009. By the time you receive this newsletter, this legislative session will have come to a close. Senator Pat Vance, Chair of that committee has communicated that she has concerns with the legislation and does not intend to bring HB 620 up for consideration in her committee this year. Therefore, HB 620 will have died, having never been considered in this committee or in the Pennsylvania Senate, as a whole. We had strong support from both committee members and the entire Senate and although we did not realize the passage of HB 620 in the Senate during this two-year legislative session, our collective efforts were not in vain. We have been told that every member of the Senate is clear on what the bleeding disorders’ community needs and why we believe this medical standard of care is so important. You worked very hard to convey that message and your voices were heard by each Senate office. We are now beginning to plan our efforts for the new, two-year
legislative session, beginning in late January 2011.
We have not forgotten the needs of our community and
will evaluate our position on re-introduction after the
November elections. We urge you to thank all members 
Representative Larry Curry, Sponsor of HB 620 House Insurance Committee Chairs, Representatives Nick Micozzie & Tony DeLuca House Speaker, Keith McCall House Majority Leader Todd Eachus Senator Ted Erickson, Republican Policy Committee Chair Senator Dominic Pileggi, Majority Leader Senator Bob Mensch, Vice-Chair, Public Health and Welfare Committee WE KNOW THAT WE DID A GREAT JOB WITH OUR GRASSROOTS EFFORTS AND MADE STEADY PROGRESS WITH THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE ALL ALONG THE WAY! Stay Tuned!! Call the Chapter office with ny questions!!! 215-393-3611
Key consumer provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) went into effect on September 23, 2010. These new rules will be applied when an existing group plan is renewed or a new plan is purchased. For instance, if your plan year begins on January 1, then these changes will be part of your policy starting on January 1, 2011. Some of the provisions affecting people with bleeding disorders are: •End of Lifetime Limits - plans will no longer be able to place lifetime caps on the dollar amount of benefits. If your insurance had a lifetime cap, you will receive notification that the cap has been lifted.
•Annual Limit Minimums Established - the gradual phase-out of the annual limit dollar amount for all group policies and new individual policies begins. For a plan or policy year beginning between September 23, 2010, and September 22, 2011, the minimum annual limit can be no less than $750,000. The minimum annual limit amount will increase in subsequent years until it is eliminated in 2014.
Previously, new federal high-risk pools were established for individuals who were unable to get health coverage because of a pre-existing condition. For more detailed information, check out the Healthcare Reform section on NHF’s Web site: www.hemophilia.org/healthcarereform. Or visit: www.healthcare.gov. |
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