Brigette Courtot, Senior Health Policy Analyst

by Brigette Courtot, Policy Analyst, 
National Women's Law Center

The health reform law is three months old today. Its benefits are already apparent, from the health insurance tax credit for small businesses that is available this (2010) tax year to the $250 rebate checks for Medicare enrollees experiencing a coverage gap due to the prescription drug “donut hole.” And yesterday, three federal agencies issued regulations to implement several more provisions of the law which together comprise a new “Patient’s Bill of Rights” that will protect women across the country from some of the nastiest insurance company practices:

• All health plans issued or renewed after September of this year will be prohibited from using lifetime limits (i.e. no more maximum caps on what they’ll spend on your health benefits over the course of your lifetime). This is especially important for women with high health care expenses, such as those with disabilities, chronic conditions, or serious illnesses. Annual limits on coverage will also be restricted (i.e. maximum annual caps cannot be lower than $750,000 per year) for most plans starting in September, and then ultimately prohibited by 2014.
• All plans issued or renewed after September will also be banned from rescinding or taking away health insurance because of an unintentional mistake made on an application.
• New plans issued after September must guarantee that women can access obstetric and gynecologic care directly, without any prior approval or a referral, and that enrollees can choose their own primary care doctor or pediatrician from the plan’s network. This protection ensures that women get the care they need, when they need it, and from a provider of their choice.
• Most health plans issued or renewed after September are barred from rejecting applications or excluding coverage for children based on their pre-existing conditions, providing relief and peace-of-mind to mothers and other caregivers of children with disabilities, chronic conditions, or serious illnesses.