Today marks the 6-month anniversary of the passage of the new health reform bill was passed and is the starting point for several new insurance provisions.  While most people won’t notice the new changes, these changes will  make it easier for New Yorkers to stay healthy and greater protection in the event that they should get sick.  Of note:

• Young adults will get to stay on their parent’s plans until the age of 26.
• New plans will no longer be able to charge co-pays or deductibles on preventive care.
• Plans will no longer be able to deny care to children with pre-existing conditions.
• Plans can no longer impose lifetime benefit limits, and there will be new restrictions on the placement of annual caps.
• Insurance companies will no longer be able to drop you for no reason (a practice called “recission.”

To learn more, check out the summary of changes at healthcare.gov or the new fact sheet by Raising Women’s Voices and a Young adult coverage fact sheet by Children’s Defense Fund.