The Affordable Care Act

Many people with cancer are afraid they will lose their health coverage if they lose their jobs. Others worry about having their coverage canceled because they got sick. Some face dollar limits on the amount of care their health plan will cover. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), a federal law passed in 2010, changes health care in many ways that help people with cancer. For instance, the law:

• Removed lifetime dollar limits and restricted yearly dollar limits on health benefits starting in September 2010. It will remove all yearly limits in 2014.
• Does not allow insurance companies to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions (such as cancer) in children as of September 2010. Pre-existing condition exclusions will not be allowed in adults starting in 2014.
• Does not allow insurance plans to stop coverage when a patient gets sick
• Created state-run or federally run Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans (PCIPs) in every state to cover people who have not had insurance for 6 months or more and have cancer or another pre-existing condition
• Makes coverage available for patients who take part in clinical trials

To learn more, please read our brochure called The Affordable Care Act: How It Helps People With Cancer and Their Families. You can also get up-to-date information online from the US Department of Health & Human Services at www.healthcare.gov.

Avoiding identity theft and scams

Note that scammers are already using the ACA to try and get your personal information for identity theft, or to sell you fake insurance. Some even call and pose as government workers looking to “update” your information, asking for your date of birth, Social Security number, or bank account numbers. If you get such a call, notify the FTC online at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). Also see “Fake health insurance” in the “Other things to know about health insurance” section.