The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare)
The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) includes provisions of utmost importance to people with developmental disabilities including:
- Young adults can stay on parents private plans until age 26
- In 2014 both children and adults will be protected against denial due to pre-existing conditions
- Access to free preventative care such as mammograms and colonoscopies will now be available
- Health insurance companies will no longer able to put life time limits on coverage, although this is a phased in piece of the Act
Private insurance coverage has either been entirely unavailable to the disabled or extremely costly. This is because insurance companies have traditionally denied individual policies or charged excessively high premiums to those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Experts say that is about to change under Obamacare.
The Affordable Care Act brings changes to the individual insurance market’s practices regarding pre-existing conditions. Insurance companies are prohibited from using them to deny, rescind, or refuse to renew insurance policies. They also may not charge higher premiums. This gives disabled individuals the freedom to buy coverage on the private market.
Work is an essential part of life for most people – both for those with and without disabilities. Work not only provides economic value, it builds self-esteem and provides a sense of purpose within one’s community. People with disabilities who want to work should be allowed that opportunity. The choice between working and health insurance is one that no one should have to make. Hopefully, it will soon be a thing of the past
For calculations, information on exchanges in California and where to sign up, go to:
