Category: Affordable Care Act

Affordable Care Act, Healthcare Reform
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Checking in on the ACA

It’s February 5, 2014, and the Affordable Care Act is still here. There have been lots of changes over the last few weeks, in a few different areas: Marketplaces pushed back the deadline to enroll in a Marketplace plan for coverage to December 23, in order for coverage to begin on January 1.  And some states went even further! Marketplaces have pushed back payment deadlines (allowing people more time to pay their January premiums).  For example, California’s Marketplace pushed back the payment deadline to January 15.  Some health plans are also deciding on their own to give people more time […]

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Affordable Care Act, Health
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All About the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (or CHIP) is a national program available in every state. Many families find themselves above the income limit to be eligible for Medicaid but still unable to afford health insurance. CHIP aims to assist these families in getting healthcare coverage by providing children under the age of 19 whose family income is too high to qualify for Medicaid with health insurance at low or no cost. The program is available throughout the nation but requirements vary by state, and the program goes by various names as well. The income limits vary by state and range […]

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Affordable Care Act, Healthcare Reform
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Health Insurance at 26 : What Are My Options?

The passing of the Affordable Care Act has implemented a number of changes to American healthcare. Many of these changes directly affect families, the elderly, and people with pre-existing conditions, leaving many of 20-somethings wondering “What does this mean for me?” One major impact of the new law is that young adults can stay on their parents’ healthcare plan until age 26. Before the passing of the Affordable Care Act children could only stay on their parents’ insurance up to age 19, with exceptions for full-time students. Since the law has been enacted, over 3 million young adults have gained […]

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Affordable Care Act, Healthcare Reform
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More on Medical Homes

Many folks still have questions about medical homes, so we thought we would try to answer some of your questions today. Q. How does having a medical home benefit the patient? Having a medical home means that you have a healthcare team to take care of you, headed by your primary care physician, who will coordinate your care and ensure good communication among your team members. The concept of “Care” appears to have evolved to “caring for the whole person,” so medical needs will certainly be addressed, but the patient’s social and family situation, mental health, and spiritual and emotional […]

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Affordable Care Act, Healthcare Reform
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The ACA and Safety Net Resources

We hope you and your families enjoyed safe, happy and healthy holidays! Now that we are in the New Year, we have much to look forward to regarding healthcare in the U.S. As we’ve discussed in our previous three posts, we are moving towards insuring more people than ever before! That is good news, but there is much to be done. The ACA is not a perfect law, but it is our best opportunity to date to ensure that more Americans receive health insurance coverage. Where We Are Now At present, there are approximately 50 million uninsured people in the […]

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About Us

Welcome to the NeedyMeds Voice! We look forward to presenting you with timely, provocative pieces on healthcare reform, patient advocacy, medication and healthcare access, and other health-related news. Our goals are to educate, enlighten, and elucidate; together, we will try to make sense of the myriad and ongoing healthcare-related changes in the U.S. today.