US Pharm. 2010;35(10):8.
Washington, DC—Several provisions of health care reform went into effect on September 23, 2010, six months after it was signed into law. Insurance companies are now banned from dropping coverage when an enrollee gets sick, are prohibited from denying coverage to children younger than 19 years who have pre-existing conditions, cannot impose lifetime benefit limits, and must offer free preventive services such as mammograms and flu shots. Parents will also be able to insure their adult children up to age 26, and patients will be able to designate a pediatrician or an OB-GYN as their primary care doctor. Some mandates apply only to new plans, and many people who are insured through employee health plans will not notice immediate changes. For plans operating on the calendar year, the new rules take effect January 1, 2011.
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