Recent News
January 21: Sebelius announces three million Medicare beneficiaries have received prescription drug cost relief under the Affordable Care Act
January 20: HHS announces new resources to help states implement Affordable Care Act
January 18: New Report: 129 million Americans with a pre-existing condition could be denied coverage without new health reform law
Recent HealthCare Blog Posts
January 21: Voices of Health Reform: Paul’s Story, By Stephanie Cutter, Assistant to the President for Special Projects
January 20: Voices of Health Reform: Libbie & Natalie’s Story, By Stephanie Cutter, Assistant to the President for Special Projects
January 20: A New Year Brings New Improvements to Medicare in 2011, Donald Berwick, M.D., Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
January 20: Moving Forward to Implement the Health Insurance Exchanges, By Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services
January 19: Editorial Boards Across the Country Agree: Repealing the Affordable Care Act is a Bad Idea, By Jesse Lee
January 19: Voices of Health Reform: Betsy’s Story, By Stephanie Cutter, Assistant to the President for Special Projects
January 19: White House White Board: The Costs of Repealing Health Reform, By Jesse Lee
January 19: Affordable Care Act: Increasing Certainty for American Businesses, Economic Growth, By Tim Geithner, Secretary of Treasury
January 18: Affordable Care Act is Working for Small Business, By Karen Mills, SBA Administrator
January 18: Protecting Americans with Pre-existing Conditions, By Richard Sorian, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
January 18: Voices of Health Reform: Cathy’s Story, By Stephanie Cutter, Assistant to the President for Special Projects
January 17: A Tribute to Dr. King, By Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services
Fact Sheets
The fact sheets are condensed summaries of important provisions in the Affordable Care Act.
January 21, 2011
Donut Hole Checks Distributed, by State
January 21, 2011
New Medicare Benefits for 2011
January 20, 2011
Health Insurance Exchange Establishment Grants
January 4, 2011
The Price of Repealing the Affordable Care Act
December 21, 2010
Affordable Care Act Requires Insurance Companies to Justify High Rate Hikes
December 20, 2010
The Health Benefits of Breastfeeding
December 16, 2010
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Enhance Efforts to Prevent and Fight Health Care Fraud
December 9, 2010
The Affordable Care Act: Increasing Transparency and Protecting Consumers
November 22, 2010
Medical Loss Ratio
November 17, 2010
Innovations for Better Health and Stronger Medicare
November 16, 2010
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
November 16, 2010
Affordable Care Act for Americans with Disabilities
November 15, 2010
HealthCare.gov Insurance Finder Gets Better for Consumers
November 5, 2010
New Plan Options for Federally Administered Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan in 2011
November 5, 2010
State by State Enrollment in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, as of November 1, 2010
October 19, 2010
Consumer Assistance Program Grants: Helping States Give Consumers Greater Control of their Health Care
October 19, 2010
Consumer Assistance Program Grants: How States Are Using New Resource to Give Consumers Greater Control of their Health Care
October 4, 2010
The Affordable Care Act’s Early Retiree Reinsurance Program
October 1, 2010
New Tools for Consumers – More Transparency in the Insurance Market New on www.HealthCare.gov: Pricing and Benefits Information for Consumers
October 1, 2010
New: Pricing and Benefits Information for Consumers
September 23, 2010
Getting Benefits into the Hands of Consumers Progress to Date
September 23, 2010
Making Medicare Stronger: New Savings on Prescription Drugs For Medicare Beneficiaries From the Affordable Care Act
September 23, 2010
A New Day for American Consumers
September 21, 2010
New Tools to Fight Fraud, Strengthen Medicare and Protect Taxpayer Dollars
September 21, 2010
New tools to fight Medicare fraud: CMS proposes new regulations to strengthen fraud prevention efforts
September 14, 2010
Affordable Care Act and Immunization
September 13, 2010
How Does the Affordable Care Act Impact People Living with HIV/AIDS?
August 16, 2010
New Resources to Help States Crack Down on Unreasonable Health Insurance Premium Hikes
August 6, 2010
Community Health Centers and the Affordable Care Act: Increasing Access to Affordable, Cost Effective, High Quality Care
July 29, 2010
About the New Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan
July 29, 2010
Health Insurance Exchanges: State Planning and Establishment Grants
July 29, 2010
Exchange Planning Grants: Grant Awards List
July 21, 2010
Protecting Consumers and Putting Patients Back in Charge of Their Care
July 14, 2010
Benefits for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders of New Affordable Care Act Rules on Expanding Prevention Coverage
July 14, 2010
Benefits for African Americans of New Affordable Care Act Rules on Expanding Prevention Coverage
July 14, 2010
Benefits for Latinos of New Affordable Care Act Rules on Expanding Prevention Coverage
July 14, 2010
Benefits for Seniors of New Affordable Care Act Rules on Expanding Prevention Coverage
July 14, 2010
Benefits for Women and Children of New Affordable Care Act Rules on Expanding Prevention Coverage
June 22, 2010
The Affordable Care Act’s New Patient’s Bill of Rights
June 18, 2010
Laying the Foundation for Prevention
June 16, 2010
Creating Jobs and Increasing the Number of Primary Care Providers
June 14, 2010
Keeping the Health Plan You Have: The Affordable Care Act and “Grandfathered” Health Plans
Increasing Choice and Saving Money for Small Businesses
July 1, 2010
Temporary High Risk Pool Program
July 1, 2010
Establishing the Web Portal Called For in The Affordable Care Act
May 13, 2010
New Tools to Fight Fraud
April 20, 2010
Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act: Protecting Young Adults and Eliminating Burdens on Families and Businesses
Learn the facts and statistics about how the Affordable Care Act will benefit each state.
Information for Your Community and You
American Families
Children
Young Adults
Early Retirees
Seniors
African Americans
Latinos
Rural Americans
Women
Small Businesses
Asian Amricans and Pacific Islanders
Americans with Disabilities
LGBT Communities
Veterans
State By State Fact Sheets
Choose your state to learn more about the immediate benefits of the Affordable Care Act.
State By State Fact Sheets
Regulations & Guidance
Regulations and guidance are used to implement many of the Affordable Care Act provisions that address both private and public health insurance.
Affordable Care Act Implementation FAQs Fifth Set (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Initial Core Set of Adult Health Quality Measures (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Health Insurance Rate Review NPRM (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Supplemental Guidance on Consumer Notices on Waivers of the Annual Limits Requirements(Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
State Demonstrations to Integrate Care for Dual Eligible Individuals (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
OCIIO Sub-Regulatory Guidance: Process for a State to Submit a Request for Adjustment to the Medical Loss Ratio Standard of PHS Act Section 2718 (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Supplemental Guidance on Sale of New Business by Issuers Receiving Waivers (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Medical Loss Ratio Regulation (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Initial Guidance to States on Exchanges (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Amendment to Regulation on “Grandfathered” Health Plans under the Affordable Care Act (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Medicaid IT NPRM - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Federal Funding for Medicaid Eligibility Determination and Enrollment Activities (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Medicaid RAC - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Program (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Questions and Answers on Enrollment of Children Under 19 Under the New Policy That Prohibits Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions- Updated: October 13, 2010
http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/children19/factsheet.html
Affordable Care Act Implementation FAQs- Third Set of FAQs –– Issued October 12, 2010
http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/implementation_faq.html
Regulation on Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Request for Comment on Health Insurance Exchanges (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Regulation on Consumers' Right to Appeal Health Plan Decisions (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Preventive Services: Regulations and Recommendations
Patient’s Bill of Rights (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Regulation on “Grandfathered” Health Plans under the Affordable Care Act (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Dependent Coverage of Children Who Have Not Attained Age 26 (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
Health Care Reform Insurance Web Portal Requirements (Issued by the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight)
COBRA Continuation of Coverage (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Health Insurance Reform for Consumers (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Health Insurance Reform for Employers (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Self-Funded Nonfederal Governmental Plans (Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Temporary High Risk Pool Fact Sheet provides information about the temporary high risk pool program included in the Affordable Care Act and chart outlining potential allocations of high risk pool funds to states.
Beneficiary Information about the $250 Part D Rebate Brochure describes details about the tax-free, one-time check for $250 for people who enter the Part D donut hole and are not eligible for Medicare Extra Help.
Health Insurance Portal Bulletin provides guidance to state Medicaid Directors about the health insurance portal.
Medicare and the New Health Law – What it Means for You. This mailing from CMS outlines key provisions of the Affordable Care Act for people with Medicare as well as members of their families. The mailing is being sent in both English and Spanish.
Letters
Administration officials issue letters requesting information, issuing guidance, announcing progress to date, and other implementation efforts.
Letter from Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury to House Speaker John Boehner Regarding the Price of Repealing the Affordable Care Act (January 5, 2011)
Letter from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to Insurance Commissioners Regarding Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Rate Review (December 21, 2010)
Letter from CalPERS to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Regarding the Affordable Care Act Implementation (December 10, 2010)
Letter from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to Consumer Groups Regarding Supplemental Guidance on Consumer Notices and Sale of New Business (December 9, 2010)
Cover memo to States from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Exchange Guidance (November 18, 2010)
Cover Memo to States from OCIIO and CMS on IT for Exchanges and Medicaid (November 3, 2010)
Letter from Secretary Sebelius to Jane L. Cline Regarding Child-Only Policies (Oct. 13, 2010)
http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/Documents/letter_to_j_cline.pdf
Letter from Chairman Carter II to Secretary Sebelius Regarding How the IBEW Health & Welfare Trust Fund Supports ERRP (September 30, 2010)
Letter from CEO Nancy Brown to Secretary Sebelius Regarding the American Heart Association’s Support for ERRP (September 30, 2010)
Letter from Mayor Cownie to Secretary Sebelius Regarding Des Moines, Iowa’s Support for ERRP(September 30, 2010).
Letter from Mayor Cashell Sr. to Secretary Sebelius Regarding Reno, Nevada's Support for ERRP(September 30, 2010)
Letter from Mary Miller, Ass. Director of Human Resources, to Secretary Sebelius Regarding Olathe, Kansas’s Support for ERRP (September 30, 2010)
Letter from Secretary Sebelius to Member of Congress Regarding the Six Month Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (September 23, 2010)
Letter from Secretary Sebelius to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Submitting the Interagency Access to Health Care in Alaska Task Force Report (September 17, 2010)
Letter from HHS Secretary Sebelius and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to Sen. Harry Reid Regarding Senate Amendments 4595 and 4596 (September 13, 2010) Persons using assistive technology may not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, please emailhealthcareweb@hhs.gov.
Letter from Secretary Sebelius to Governors, Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26, 2010)
Rate Review letter from Secretary Sebelius to Governors and State Insurance Commissioners (June 7, 2010)
Letter from Secretary Sebelius to Hill Leadership outlining HHS’s Progress on Implementation Efforts (May 24, 2010)
State High Risk Pool cover letter from Jay Angoff, Director of the Office of Consumer Information and Oversight (May 10, 2010)
Letter from Secretary Sebelius to NAIC urging the association to provide guidance by June 1 to allow for timely implementation of the law (April 12, 2010)
Grants
The Affordable Care Act creates a number of new grant opportunities. Below, you will find links to the grant centers for the agencies administering these grants. There, and at Grants.gov, you can search for relevant grant opportunities.
CDC National Public Health Improvement Initiative (NPHII) Grants
Consumer Assistance Program Grants – search for CFDA number 93.519
OCIIO State Planning and Establishment Grants – search for CFDA number 93.525.
OCIIO Health Insurance Premium Review Grants
Health Insurance Premium Review Grants
Administration for Children and Families Grants
Administration on Aging Grants
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Health Resources and Services Administration Grants
Indian Health Service Grants
National Institutes of Health Grants
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Grants
Brochures/Educational Materials
Below you’ll find brochures and materials related to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for You (PDF - English 2.78 MB, Spanish 2.59 MB)
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for Employers (PDF - English 916 KB, Spanish 963 KB)
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for Small Business (PDF - English 1.17 MB, Spanish 1 MB)
The New Health Care Law - What it Means for You and Your Family (PDF - English 899 KB, Spanish 833 KB)
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for Rural America (PDF - English 1.06MB, Spanish 833 KB)
The Affordable Care Act - What it Means for Young Adults (PDF - English 971 KB, Spanish 879 KB)
Patient Protections & Insurance Reforms
Poster: Are You Eligible for the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan? (PDF - English 271 KB,Spanish 231 KB)
The Affordable Care Act — What it Means for Those with Pre-Existing Conditions (PDF - English 354 KB, Spanish 356 KB)
Medicare and the New Health Care Law — What it Means for You
Closing the Prescription Drug Coverage Gap