What Are the Ins-and-Outs of 'Obamacare'?

In March 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into law, marking the beginning of the most significant overhaul in the country's health care system. Only time will tell whether the act in its current state will improve the health care system in the U.S.; however, critics and proponents of the act agree that health care reform is necessary to revive the economy. Internet pharmacies and online prescription websites as well as online doctor/telemedicine services will also become more accessible as they cater to a growing population that wants or needs their medications shipped directly to their homes.

The PPACA outlines many changes that will be implemented over the next few years, some of which have already taken place. The law addresses many restrictions that insurance companies have traditionally imposed on patients. A few of these restrictions include preexisting conditions, age limit on dependents covered under health insurance plans, and lifetime coverage limits. These are perhaps the most pressing issues for most Americans who see online doctors.

Normally, it is nearly impossible for patients with preexisting conditions to obtain insurance. Those in constant need of medical care, such as those with diabetes or high blood pressure, are often labeled as having a "preexisting" condition, and signing up for a plan under a new employer can prove to be a challenge. Women have also been a target of this exclusion as many insurance companies make it difficult for pregnant women to obtain maternity coverage. HIPAA regulations impose a limit on how many days a patient can go without coverage before an insurance company can deny their coverage based on preexisting conditions. Online doctors and prescriptions online will remain largely unchanged. Currently, this means that a patient can go for a maximum of 63 days without health coverage before being excluded from a plan for a preexisting condition. However, the PPACA changes this by restricting insurance companies from denying coverage on this basis.

Another change that aims to help those without health coverage is the increase in the age limit for dependents. With many people in their mid-twenties graduating college and being unable to find a full-time position that provides benefits, many of these graduates lose their health coverage once they are out on their own. The PPACA will increase the dependent age limit up to 26 in September 2010.

Lifetime coverage limits have varied between insurance companies; some are as low as $50,000, and some are as high as $5 million. Many people do not even reach the upper end of their lifetime coverage limits. For those who fall ill and need costly treatments throughout their lives, however, a lifetime coverage limit can be devastating to that family's financial well-being, no matter how prepared they are for the expenses. The PPACA's ban on the lifetime coverage limit is scheduled to take effect in September 2010.

Although the PPACA has its fair share of opponents, everyone is likely to agree that health care does need reform in some way or another. This process is a complicated one that will take years to fully implement, and significant results might not be seen until later this decade. Even so, a few immediate changes, including the stringent regulations previously set forth by insurance companies, can help the process along and keep it as efficient as lawmakers have promised.

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