This Mother’s Day: Giving the Gift of Health

You heal scraped knees with band-aids. You hold your child’s hand at the doctor’s office and you definitely know the difference between the stomach flu and a fear of book reports. Who are you? You’re a Mom.

As a Mom myself, I’m familiar with how busy life gets taking care of our children and family. Now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, there are tools out there that offer some peace of mind. The Affordable Care Act gives Mothers across the country the freedom from worrying about having their family’s health insurance coverage dropped, denied, or limited. Some of the many new benefits include:

• Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions. Today, children cannot be denied coverage because of their pre-existing conditions.  And starting in 2014, this protection will extend to all Americans, when insurance companies will no longer be allowed to discriminate based on health status. 
• No Gender Rating. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies charged higher premiums just for being a woman.   Starting in 2014, many insurance companies will be prohibited from charging higher premiums to women.
• Coverage for preventive services. Recommended preventive services that help keep you healthy, like mammograms and flu shots, are now available at no out-of-pocket cost in many health plans.
• Manage your care. If you are on a new insurance plan, you can choose your primary care doctor or OB-GYN in your insurer’s network without a referral.
• Coverage for children up to age 26. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most young adults can stay on their parent’s family plan until they turn 26. It doesn’t matter if they are financially independent, married, living with you, or in school. They’re covered.
• Help for family members on Medicare. If your parents or other loved ones are enrolled in Medicare, the Affordable Care Act protects their guaranteed benefits and extends the life of the Medicare Trust Fund. This means, Medicare is more likely to be there not just for your Mother and you, but for your kids and grandkids. The law also gives people with Medicare free preventive care and reduces prescription drug costs.

So you can keep healing those bumps and bruises and continue doing what you do best: knowing exactly what your family needs. But remember, when it comes time to getting the health coverage and services you need, the Affordable Care Act is here to make sure every American, including our invincible Moms, are getting the quality care they deserve at a price they can afford.

From one Mother to Mothers everywhere, Happy Mother’s Day!