Affordable Care Act

What to Expect in the New Year: 2013 changes to healthcare under the Affordable Care Act

1) To expand the number of Americans receiving preventive care, the law provides new funding to state Medicaid programs that choose to cover preventive services for patients at little or no cost. Effective January 1, 2013.

2) The law establishes a national pilot program to encourage hospitals, doctors, and other providers to work together to improve the coordination and quality of patient care - also known as "bundling".

3) As Medicaid programs and providers prepare to cover more patients in 2014, the Act requires states to pay primary care physicians no less than 100% of Medicare payment rates in 2013 and 2014 for primary care services. The increase is fully funded by the federal government.

4)Under the law, states will receive two more years of funding to continue coverage for children not eligible for Medicaid.
Effective October 1, 2013.

(info drawn from HealthCare.gov)