“What does this mean to me?” is the question we most commonly hear on the news about health reform.   What’s often lost is how many things go into effect this year.  Thanks again to our friends at Georgetown Health Policy Institute’s Center for Children and Families, a new report Early Wins for Children and Families in Health Reform provides more detail on the provisions that take effect this year.

• Making it easier for children and families to connect to Medicaid and CHIP.  In Arkansas, two out of three uninsured children are already eligible for ARKids First. We can help them now.

• Allowing young adults to be covered under their parent’s policies until they are 26.

• For new plans, providing free preventive services to enrollees.

• Covering children with a pre-existing condition. The same will apply to adults in 2014 once Exchanges are operational.

• Establishing temporary high-risk pools for uninsured people with pre-existing conditions.

• Providing tax credits for small businesses that offer health insurance.  Note that many of these small businesses are exempt from the employer requirement to provide insurance.

• Removing lifetime coverage limits or restrictive annual limits now required by insurance companies.  (Note that no annual limits may be imposed starting 2014). In addition, companies may no longer drop coverage when someone becomes sick.

For more information on these and more changes this year, see the CCF report or blog summary.  For more on all of the changes to come with health reform, see AACF’s summary of key provisions affecting kids and families.