Effects of the Healthcare Reform in Indiana

Without reforms the percentage of uninsured people would have increased by nearly 10 percent in every state by the year 2019. With the new health care reform laws, medical insurance coverage has expanded to millions of Americans, reducing out-of-pocket costs, reducing premiums and providing the security of available and affordable medical insurance.

• Residents without medical insurance and residents who are carrying non-group health insurance would be provided with easy access to affordable medical coverage.
  
  
• Premium tax credits may be provided to residents who need them in order to help them to purchase medical insurance coverage.
  
  
• Preventive services would be offered to seniors at no cost.
  
  
• Seniors would have their brand name drug cost reduced to half through the Medicare Part D plan. The "doughnut hole" in this plan would also be reduced.
  
  
• Premiums would become more affordable for small businesses through the availability of a tax credit.

Proposals of the Indiana Health Insurance Reform would start to be implemented in 2010 and 2011 and will produce real benefits for families, seniors, small business and individual state governments.

Through Indiana Health Insurance Reform security, stability and choice are provided. The benefits citizens should expect to see include:

• Relief from rising health care costs
  
• Elimination of the "hidden tax" on health care premiums
  
• Offers of premium tax credits
  
• Promotion of increased health insurance choice, as competition amongst insurers increases
  
• Support of long term community and home based services
  
• Proactive decreasing of preventable readmissions to hospitals
  
• Decreasing of paperwork by health care providers
  
• Incentives for primary care providers
  
• Investment in the primary health care system

For families the Healthcare Reform in Indiana will ensure their protection in the medical insurance market through new guidelines that eliminate unfair practices that medical insurers have put in place. They create immediate options for those that cannot get medical insurance due to existing medical issues. They ensure preventive services at no cost to help reduce the cost of treating health problems that are caught too late.

For seniors the Indiana Health Insurance Reform will reduce premiums by reducing Medicare's overpayments to private plans. They will reduce prescription drug spending, through improvements in the existing plan. They will offer preventive service at no cost.

For small businesses the Healthcare Reform in Indiana will make insurance coverage more affordable and offer businesses tax credits to help them provide coverage for their employees. For the state the reforms will mean a reduction in state employee premium and a major reduction in uncompensated care, as everyone will be able to access health insurance.

Indiana currently has 820,000 residents who do not have insurance coverage. There are also 279,000 residents with non-group insurance, making the Healthcare Reform in Indiana quite attractive to both of these groups. The benefits of the pending reforms will touch every aspect of society, alleviating stress and worry for many, while making it easier to get healthy and stay healthy.