Healthcare reform is a very large puzzle.  Talking about only one piece at a time makes it difficult to convey the big picture of our health care system problems and fixes.  The piece of the Affordable Care Act in the news recently is the exciting subject of medical loss ratios.  In the overall scheme of the reform law, this is a positive part of the legislation.

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The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department touted new rules easing the regulatory burden on hospitals and healthcare providers to the tune of more than $5 billion in savings over five years.

To learn more about these new regulations, click here.

If you’ve been following the presidential primaries, commentary from political pundits, or even the nightly news, you’ve probably heard the term “individual mandate” more than once.

People have strong and different opinions about the mandate. Its supporters argue that it’s a crucial piece of the health care law—without which, the rest of the law would not work. Its opponents question its constitutionality and are eager for the Supreme Court to rule on this very issue in June. No matter where you stand, you’re going to be hearing a lot about the individual mandate in the upcoming weeks and months. We want to be sure you have the facts and understand what it could mean for you.

The mandate was included in the law as a way to encourage Americans who are currently uninsured to get health coverage. The idea behind it is to have everyone participate in the system or pay their fair share. Here’s how it will work.

If you have insurance—either through your employer or through a plan you purchased outside of work—you don’t have to pay a penalty or worry about the mandate because you are already covered.

If you don’t have health insurance, starting in 2014, you will need to get it or face paying a tax penalty. There will be new ways that make it easier for uninsured Americans to find and pay for health coverage. First, those who don’t have access to affordable health insurance will be able to get it through new state-based health insurance exchanges. These exchanges will be competitive marketplaces where individuals and small businesses will be able to search for a variety of health insurance plans, compare them against each other, and purchase the plan that is the best fit. All health plans offered in the exchanges must cover a minimum set of benefits. The exchanges and will also provide tax credits to individuals and families earning between 138 and 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). That represents an income of approximately $15,000 – $45,000 a year for an individual and $30,800 – $99,000 a year for a family of four. Second, Medicaid will expand to cover adults earning up to 138 percent of FPL—including those without children.

If you are uninsured and you choose not to get coverage, you will have to pay a penalty to help cover the cost of the care you receive. The penalty will start at $95 for an individual and $47.50 for a child in 2014. No family will have to pay more than $235 for the year, or 1 percent of their income, whichever is higher. In 2015, the penalty increases to $325 for an individual and $162.50 for a child—no family would pay more than $975 or 2 percent of their income. In 2016, it increases to $695 for an individual and $347.50 for a child—no family would have to pay more than $2,085 a year or 2.5 percent of their income. After 2016, the penalty will increase based on the cost of living.

There are several groups of people who will not have to pay the penalty even if they choose not to get insurance. This includes members of American Indian tribes, certain religious organizations, incarcerated people, individuals who don’t earn enough money to have to pay taxes, and individuals who would have to pay more than 8 percent of their income to buy insurance.

We, like many of you, will be watching to see what the Supreme Court says about the mandate. Its ruling will determine whether the law moves forward with the mandate in place or if changes need to be made. This is a decision that will impact Americans—either way. You can be sure that we will keep you updated with the facts on how it might change the law and, most importantly, what it means for you and your family.

If you’re a hardworking small business owner who provides health benefits to your employees, there’s a chance your insurance carrier owes you money. And if it does, you can start looking for a check in the mail. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are being held accountable to their customers in a brand new way — which means they’re expected to owe businesses and individuals a whopping $1.3 billion this year, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

To learn more about health insurance companies issuing rebates to small businesses, click here.

Somewhere between 36 million and 112 million adults have pre-existing conditions, the Government Accountability Office says in a new report. President Obama’s healthcare law requires insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions. Insurers have historically been able to deny coverage to sick people or offer policies that don’t cover their pre-existing conditions.

To learn more about people with pre-existing conditions getting coverage, click here.

Health insurers will pay $1.3 billion in rebates to consumers and employers this year under a provision of President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law that penalizes plans that devote too little of their premium revenues to health services, an independent study showed on Thursday.

To learn more about spending requirements for insurance companies, click here.

The U.S. Supreme Court will, sometime this summer, rule on the constitutionality of the health care reform bill passed by Congress in March 2010.

The bill, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, began to take effect in 2010, but many of its provisions will be carried out during the next decade. The entire bill is 1,200 pages long.

Jonathan Oberlander, professor of social medicine and health policy and management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, clarified parts of the law in an email.

Read the full article here.

President Obama’s healthcare reform law not only helps young adults get coverage but also ensures they’re able to keep it over time, the administration said in a new report released Wednesday to mark the law’s second anniversary.

To learn more about young adults’ coverage, click here.

Under the Affordable Care Act, 45.1 million women — including 20.4 million women with private health insurance and 24.7 million women with Medicare — can receive recommended preventive services with no cost-sharing, new data released today by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius show.

To learn more about women’s preventive services under the law, click here.

Even as the Supreme Court prepares to hear the historic lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act, consumers are already seeing some changes. Jackie Judd talks with KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” columnist Michelle Andrews about insurance rebates, flexible spending accounts, preventive care (including contraceptives) and easy-to-read insurance labels.

To watch the video, click here.