President Obama met with 34 NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) and discussed the implementation of PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is a voluntary organization of the chief insurance regulatory officials of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.

Jane L. Cline, NAIC President and West Virginia Insurance Commissioner, said:

We appreciate the opportunity to discuss what is happening ‘on the ground’ in the states as health care reform becomes a reality. It is our shared goal that consumers have access to affordable and adequate coverage, with minimal disruption to the marketplace.

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor, as well as key Administration White House advisers were present at the meeting.

President Obama stressed that consumers must have adequate information regarding changes as they happen. He also acknowledged the key role state regulators play in the implementation of reform, as well as educating the public.

It is exactly six months today that the PPACA was signed. NAIC informs that early provisions of the new legislation start to take effect now. Details of what the early provisions mean to consumers are detailed in the recent NAIC Consumer Alert: Additional Health care Reform Provisions Kick in (link at end of this article).

Regulators form the following states attended the White House meeting: Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The NAIC writes in its online alert (link below):

On Sept. 23, the next round of provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will begin to go into effect. Many of these provisions provide new or expanded options and consumer protections for health insurance coverage. These benefits could mean significant changes to your policy options during open enrollment or when renewing your individual health policy. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) provides the following highlights of these PPACA provisions to help you navigate the coverages and options you may soon see on your health insurance renewal.

ADDITIONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM PROVISIONS KICK IN
Changes Take Effect on Policies Renewing After Sept. 23, 2010
National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)

Source: NAIC

Written by Christian Nordqvist