The House Small Business Committee released handy charts to help business owners comply with the new provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Two charts, one for provisions that go into effect in 2013 and another for those that go into effect in 2014, explain the provisions and outline the consequences of each for small businesses. REALLY, MY HEALTH INSURANCE COVERS … Insurance plans submitted to the HHS will have to cover weight-loss surgery in New York and California, for example, but not in Minnesota or Connecticut. Infertility treatment will be a required benefit in New Hampshire, but not in Arizona. Over all, the law requires that essential health benefits cover 10 broad categories, including emergency services, maternity and newborn care, hospitalization, preventive care and prescription drugs. But there is room for variation in those categories. Whether insurance will pay for hearing aids, foot care, speech therapy and various medications will vary significantly by state. The Obama administration originally planned to impose a single set of essential benefits nationwide, but last year, amid accusations that the health care law was too rigid, it decided to allow each state to choose its own guaranteed benefits within the 10 broad categories.
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Dec 2012
