Health Care Reform Affects All of Us!

You’ve come to the right place to learn about the Patient Protection and  Affordable Care Act, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or just health care reform.

Below you will find links to general information. The tabs above provide access to more specific information for employers, brokers and providers.

Learn about Health Care Reform:

   General Information: 

• The Affordable Care Act – What’s it all about? 
• Wellmark's Guide to Health Care Reform  – An overview of the law.

   Timelines: 

• Timeline: What’s Changing and When  – A quick look at the ACA implementation.

• Detailed Implementation Timeline – from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

   Tools & Video: 

• AskBlue Healthcare Reform for Iowa^SM or the AskBlue Healthcare Reform for South Dakota^SM ; a personalized, interactive tool for consumers and businesses from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. 

• “Health Reform Hits Main Street”  ; a video from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Understanding Health Care Costs:

Why are your premiums going up? Articles to help you understand the cost of health care so you can make informed decisions. Including:

• Drugs - The Price of Popping Pills
• What Experts are Saying about Rising Health Insurance Costs
• The Cost of Cutting Edge Medical Technology
• Obesity - A Weighty Concern 

^{Wellmark is not providing any legal advice with regard to compliance with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act ("ACA") and Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act ("MHPAEA"). Regulations and guidance on specific provisions of the ACA and MHPAEA have been and will continue to be provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") and/or other agencies. The information provided reflects Wellmark's understanding of the most current information and is subject to change without further notice. Please note that plan benefits, rates, renewal rate adjustments, and rating impact calculations are subject to change and may be revised during a plan’s rating period based on guidance and regulations issued by HHS or other agencies. Wellmark makes no representation as to the impact of plan changes on a plan's grandfathered status or interpretation or implementation of any other provisions of ACA or MHPAEA. Any questions about Wellmark's approach to the ACA or MHPAEA may be referred to your Wellmark account representative. Wellmark will not determine whether coverage is discriminatory or otherwise in violation of Internal Revenue Code Section 105(h). Wellmark also will not provide any testing for compliance with Internal Revenue Code Section 105(h). Wellmark will not be held liable for any penalties or other losses resulting from any employer offering coverage in violation of section 105(h). Wellmark will not determine whether any change in an Employer Administered Funding Arrangement affects a health plan’s grandfathered health plan status under ACA or otherwise complies with ACA. Wellmark will not be held liable for any penalties or other losses resulting from any Employer Administered Funding Arrangement. For purposes of this paragraph, an “Employer Administered Funding Arrangement” is an arrangement administered by an employer in which the employer contributes toward the member’s share of benefit costs (such as the member’s deductible, coinsurance, or copayments) in the absence of which the member would be financially responsible. An Employer Administered Funding Arrangement does not include the employer’s contribution to health insurance premiums or rates.}