The federal legislation known as the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March 2010. The law is designed to help millions of Americans obtain health insurance coverage. Under the new law, everyone must have health insurance. The reforms will cover more people and offer more benefits - more children will get coverage, elimination of lifetime limits and most annual limits on care, and gives many more people access to preventive healthcare services.

Under the new law, insurer’s can’t:

• Limit or deny benefits or deny coverage for a child younger than age 19 simply because the child has a “pre-existing condition,” a health problem that developed before the child applied to join the plan.
• Put a “lifetime” dollar limit on most benefits you receive. The Act also restricts and phases out the “annual” dollar limits a health plan can place on most of your benefits–and does away with these limits entirely in 2014.
• Retroactively cancel your insurance coverage solely because you or your employer made an honest mistake on your insurance application or left out information that has little bearing on your health.
• Deny you your right to appeal if the insurer will not pay for a service or treatment. When an insurance plan denies payment for a treatment or service, you can appeal to the plan to review its decision. Your plan must explain how to appeal when it informs you of the denial.

Under the new law, you can:

• Receive cost-free preventive services. If your plan is subject to these new requirements, you would not have to pay a copay or any deductible to receive preventive health services, such as recommended screenings, vaccinations or counseling.
• Keep your children on your plan until age 26. Previously, health plans could remove enrolled children, usually at age 19, and sometimes older for full-time students.
• Choose a primary care doctor, ob/gyn and pediatrician. You can choose your physician from your health plan’s provider network without needing approval from another doctor.
• Seek emergency care outside your plan’s network without prior approval from your health plan.

Additional Resources

See which private, public and community programs meet your needs. This  tool was created to help consumers under the healthcare reform law.

Uninsured Californians with health problems may qualify for insurance through a temporary, state-run program. Contact the California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program at (800) 289-6574.

See easy-to-read brochures on the ways the “The New Health Law Helps You!,” brought to you by The Health Consumer Alliance funded by generous support from The California Endowment.