Sometime soon, we will hear what the Supreme Court decides in regards to the Affordable Care Act. Will it be repealed? Will it be upheld? As the nation holds it collective breath, wondering how this decision will affect their health insurance policies, California has been working on replicating the Affordable Care Act in its state laws.
I moved from Illinois to California in 2005. For the most part, I’ve been really happy with how things have worked out. I don’t have to worry about waking up early to thaw out my car, and knock all the snow off of it, on cold, Winter, mornings anymore. I can easily find fresh fruits and vegetables whenever I want them, the whole year through. I found a nearby acupuncturist who is doing wonders for my allergies. None of that would have been possible had I stayed in Illinois.
There is another huge reason why I am happy to have moved to California, and it directly has to do with health insurance. While other states have dragged their feet about getting their health insurance exchanges up and running, California has been working hard on putting one together. It is expected to be ready to go in 2014.
Right now, Americans are waiting to see what the Supreme Court will decide about the Affordable Care Act. There is the potential that the Supreme Court will decide that the entire thing is unconstitutional, and repeal it. If that happens, then many Americans stand a great chance of losing the protections that the ACA has been providing (in some cases, since 2010).
However, the people who live in California won’t have as much to lose if the ACA goes away. This is because California has been passing state laws that are very similar to the requirements that the Affordable Care Act is setting into motion. This means that health insurance companies in California will still be required to adhere to those regulations, even if the Affordable Care Act disappears.
I’ve already seen some examples of this with my own health insurance policy. Anthem sent me a letter that informed me that, as of July 1, 2012, my insurance plan will include maternity coverage. I will not have to purchase an extra insurance rider for this coverage. I have no intention of having a child, but, it’s nice to know that I will have insurance coverage for it anyway, just in case.
Later, Anthem sent me another letter to inform me that, as of August 1, 2012, my health insurance policy will cover the cost of birth control. California is one of 26 states that requires health insurance plans to cover any and all FDA approved forms of contraception. This means that families who live in California will still have this type of coverage, even if the entire Affordable Care Act is repealed.
Image by Sebastian Bergmann on Flickr