PolitcalCorrection.org’s Matt Trojan explains:

Joining a string of recent procedural rulings and a decision last month, earlier this week a federal district court rejected arguments that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Norman Moon, representing western Virginia, emphatically rejected all nine complaints filed by Jerry Falwell's conservative Liberty University. The plaintiffs made a tenuous argument that, as a non-profit institution, the individual mandate unconstitutionally compels the university to participate in a health care system that discriminates against their religious beliefs on abortion.

Despite the facts, opponents of health care reform used choice as a means of dividing the public, claiming that the ACA would provide public funds for abortion. Liberty University doubled down on this rhetoric, put it to trial, and was flatly rejected.

That the Affordable Care Act would use federal money to fund abortion is one of the most common myths that have been spread about the bill. The reality is that the bill specifically states that abortion is not required of any insurance plan, and the White House further signed an executive order preventing any federal funds from going towards abortion.

In his ruling, Judge Norman Moon set the record straight about this issue:

"The Act explicitly states that no plan is required to cover any form of abortion services. In every state health benefit exchange, there must be offered at least one plan that does not provide coverage of non-excepted abortion services, which, under current law, are any type of abortion services except in cases of rape or incest or where the life of the woman is endangered. Any state may pass a law prohibiting health plans offered through that state's health benefit exchange from covering any form of abortion services."

That means the influenza vaccine, so critical to keeping kids, adults, and the elderly healthy this season, will come with no cost-sharing for you. Individuals who are enrolled in new group or individual health plans after September 23, 2010 can avoid the cost of deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance.

With the inclusion of preventative services, many other vaccinations are covered as well. For children, many of the vaccinations required for school enrollment will be made available at no cost, and adults have coverage for many basic vaccines.

Dr. Harold Koch, Assistant Secretary for Health, outlined the new coverage in a recent post HealthCare.gov:

For children (up to 18 years of age), this includes: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis; Haemophilus Influenzae Type B; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (for females); Inactivated Poliovirus; Influenza; Measles, Mumps, Rubella; Meningococcal; Rotavirus; and Varicella.

For adults (19 years and older), this includes: Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; Herpes Zoster; Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (for females); Influenza; Measles, Mumps, Rubella; Meningococcal; Pneumococcal; Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis; and Varicella.

Stay safe and healthy this flu season. For more information on the preventive services offered in the Affordable Care Act, visit the HealthCare.gov page on preventive care.

In 2011, that starts to change.

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new provisions to protect consumers, and make your insurance premiums more transparent and accountable.

Several weeks ago, we explained a little about “medical loss ratios.”  Basically, they’re a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires health insurers to spend 80 to 85 percent of premiums directly on care for patients and quality improvements.

With the new rules, insurers who collect too much on premium payments will provide rebates to their customers starting in 2012. The HHS estimates that these rebates will affect millions of Americans charged unfair premiums by insurers:

"The new rules will protect up to 74.8 million insured Americans and estimates indicate that up to 9 million Americans could be eligible for rebates starting in 2012 worth up to $1.4 billion. Average rebates per person could total $164 in the individual market."

Beyond the cash savings, the new rules broadly ensure that the insurance marketplace is more transparent, by requiring that insurance companies publically disclose how they spend premium dollars.

According to Jay Angoff, Director of the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at HHS:

"These rules were carefully developed through a transparent and fair process with significant input from the public, the States, and other key stakeholders... As we build a bridge to 2014, when better, more affordable options are available to consumers, these rules will help make health insurance fairer for consumers now."

For more information about medical loss ratios and rebates, see the fact sheet at Heathcare.gov.

"The Insurance Finder is designed to make it easy for you to see many of the things you need to know to make a decision about your insurance coverage. It includes helpful features that let you see specifically what benefits are excluded under the plan you’re considering, including benefits like maternity care and prescription drugs. To break through all the "insurance speak," you can click on terms to see important cautionary notes and definitions. And you can select up to three plans and select "compare these plans" to see all their details at once."

The latest version lists over 8,500 plans for individuals and families and brings the number of health insurance companies in the Finder to 299. It also adds price estimates for private insurance policies for individuals and families, allowing consumers to easily compare health insurance plans.

Making shopping for insurance coverage an open and competitive process gives power back to the consumer, letting them pick and choose the plan that's best for them.

Try out the Insurance Finder below, or visit finder.healthcare.gov.

The Affordable Care Act makes preventive care a priority, adds a free annual wellness checkup, fills in the "donut hole" coverage gap, and generally makes senior care a priority with an expansion of new benefits and protections.

White House Assistant to the President for Special Projects Stephanie Cutter talked about the new provisions in a blog post yesterday:

"Under the Affordable Care Act, beginning next year, seniors will be able to receive preventive services like mammograms and colonoscopies for free. The prescription drug coverage gap known as the donut hole will decrease until it is eliminated in 2020. This year, eligible seniors who hit the donut hole received a $250 rebate check. Thus far, over 1.8 million Medicare beneficiaries have received checks.  Next year, they will receive a 50 percent discount on the brand name prescription drugs they purchase when they hit the donut hole. And all seniors will benefit from the provisions of the law that extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund for an additional 12 years."

The best news for seniors enrolled in Medicare may be that these benefits will come with no extra cost increases. The Denver Post elaborated further:

Seniors have not seen dramatic benefit reductions or cost increases that reform opponents warned about, said A.W. Schnellbacher, on the executive council of AARP Colorado. (Many seniors are in traditional Medicare; others are in privately run plans called Medicare Advantage.)

"The average premium increase is negative 1 percent, and benefits are virtually unchanged," said Jon Blum, director of the Center for Medicare. Washington officials on the Medicare conference call with reporters did not offer estimates of the new benefits' total cost to taxpayers.

Medicare Part B premiums, for doctor visits and other non-hospital costs, will stay the same for most beneficiaries in 2011, at $96.40 or $110.50 a month. Those making more than $85,000 a year may see a 4.4 percent increase.

For more information on Medicare and how to enroll, visit Medicare.gov.

Unfortunately, many of the same interests that spread myths about "death panels" are using their spotlight to rewrite the history of the legislation. On a recent cable news show, the hosts repeatedly suggested that the Republican Party was shut out of negotiations over the Affordable Care Act.

Far from it.

Despite the partisan vote on the bill, the fact is that the Affordable Care Act was a product of exhaustive bipartisan compromise. Indeed, some of the most important provisions in the bill were actually GOP ideas:

• A high-risk pool for uninsured people with preexisting conditions
• Allowing insurance companies to sell coverage across state lines
• Pools where the self-employed and small businesses could buy insurance

In February, The Washington Post's Ezra Klein described in detail how all four health care planks on the GOP's Solutions for America website were incorporated into the bill. In fact, even the individual mandate itself has a strong history of support within the Republican Party, including from the Heritage Foundation, Mitt Romney and Chuck Grassley.

Media Matters reported the following numbers about Republican involvement in the Affordable Care Act over the past 18 months:

According to a HELP Committee document about bipartisan aspects of the health reform bill the committee passed July 15, 2009, its final bill included "161 Republican amendments," including "several amendments from Senators [Mike] Enzi [R-WY], [Tom] Coburn [R-OK], [Pat] Roberts [R-KS] and others [that] make certain that nothing in the legislation will allow for rationing of care," and reflected the efforts of "six bipartisan working groups" that "met a combined 72 times" in 2009 as well as "30 bipartisan hearings on health care reform" since 2007, half of which were held in 2009 [HELP Committee document, 7/09]. And according to the Senate Finance Committee's September 22, 2009, document detailing the amendments to the Chairman's Mark considered, at least 13 amendments sponsored by one or more Republican senators were included in the bill.

It's always unfortunate to see more misinformation on the Affordable Care Act, but it should serve as a good reminder to everyone that it's more important than ever to spread the truth about the health care bill.

Talk to your friends and family today about what's at stake — and make sure to check back at AmericasFairHealthCare.org. We're going to keep working hard to set the record straight on health care.

Despite some of the myths and confusion out there, the bill was designed specifically to strengthen - not weaken - Medicare. The solvency of the program has been extended for upwards of a decade, and users will benefit from free preventative care services, lower drug costs, the closing the prescription drug "donut hole," and an overall reduction in waste, fraud and abuse.

Now there's even more proof.

A new study from the Department of Health and Human Services shows that seniors and persons with disabilities will save thousands of dollars over next decade thanks to provisions in the new law that lower drug costs and improve the overall efficiency of the program.

According to the latest estimates, the "Average savings for those enrolled in traditional Medicare will amount to more than $3,500 over the next 10 years.  Savings will be even higher - as much as $12,300 over the next 10 years - for seniors and people with disabilities who have high prescription drug costs."

In an official statement, Secretary of HHS Kathleen Sebelius explained the added benefits for seniors and those with disabilities:

"The Affordable Care Act makes Medicare stronger and reduces the burden of health care costs on some of our most vulnerable citizens...the law improves benefits for seniors and people with beneficiaries who rely on Medicare and ensures that Medicare will be there for current and future generations by extending the life of the Medicare Trust Fund."

Here are a few of her tips:

• Guard your Medicare and Social Security numbers. Treat them like you would treat your credit cards
• Be suspicious of anyone who offers you free medical equipment or services and then requests your Medicare number. If it's free, they don't need your number
• Do not let anyone borrow or pay to use your Medicare ID card or your identity. It's illegal, and it's not worth it!

Secretary Sebelius is giving another fraud prevention summit in Brooklyn, NY, and we'll make sure to keep you posted about what happens. In the meantime, there's plenty of information on preventing fraud available at StopMedicareFraud.gov.

We've been sifting through what we've recieved -- and below is a first set of answers. Make sure to check back at AmericasFairHealthCare.org as we continue to publish answers to as many of your questions as we can. And of course, if you have your a question of your own -- you can submit it here.

[Some politicians] say that there have been cuts to Medicare. Is that true? If so, what has been cut? — Douglas from Michigan

Answer: There have been no cuts to Medicare. In fact, health care reform strengthens Medicare buy cutting waste and fraud and making the system more efficient. According to a report issued by the Medicare trustees, the Affordable Care Act has extended the financial solvency of Medicare by over a decade. For more info on how our new health care law strengthens Medicare, check out our blog post here.

How will the law change affect very small business (5 employees) and when will it take effect? — Denise from Delaware

Answer: The Affordable Care Act helps small businesses by providing tax breaks and innovative coverage options. If your business offers health insurance and has fewer than 25 employees, you may be eligible for a small business tax credit of up to 35% (up to 25% for non-profits) to offset the cost of your insurance. Starting in 2014, "small businesses with generally fewer than 100 employees can shop in an exchange, which gives you power similar to what large businesses have to get better choices and lower prices."

I am 60 and recently retired. I have a 5-year wait for Medicare and have had to get my own health insurance for the 5-year gap.  Are there any national pools or provisions in the health care plan that I can enroll in now to save money on my premiums? My understanding is that none of the pools kick in until 2014. — Steven from Washington

Answer: Americans who retire early often fall into the difficult position of searching for affordable insurance without the benefits of Medicare eligibility. Under the Affordable Care Act, individuals 55 and older will be able to participate in the Health and Human Services Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. The program exists to bridge the gap between now and the availability of Health Insurance Exchanges in 2014 by paying "80 percent of health insurance costs, up to $90,000 a year," for each qualifying early retiree. The program has $5 billion in funding to help employers and unions keep early retirees covered. More information can be found at ERRP.gov.

Is it true that my health insurance can now be extended until the age of 26? Should I contact my insurance company to make sure that I stay covered or is it already handled? — Charmaine from Arkansas

Answer: Yes. The Affordable Care Act allows parents to add their children as a dependent on existing health care plans as long as they are under age 26.  Young adults will be eligible for this coverage regardless of financial dependency, residency with parent, student status, employment, or marital status. According to Healthcare.gov, "the only exception is if your parent has an existing job-based plan and you can get your own job-based coverage." You should check with you current insurance provider to discuss coverage options, because it will not happen automatically.

In reality though, it's a simple idea. The "medical loss ratio" is just the offical language for the new policy kicking in next year that demands health care providers spend more of your premium payments on actual patient care, as opposed to administrative or other assorted costs.

Over the past years, a shockingly increasing percentage of premium payments has gone to administrative and overhead costs and, in many cases, high salaries or bonuses. Fortunately for American consumers, that's about to change.

Richard Sorian, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, explained in detail last week on HealthCare.gov:

To be sure your premium dollars are spent primarily on health care itself, the law requires that 80-to-85% of the money collected by insurance companies be spent on health care services and health care quality improvement.

In other words, for many of you, this part of the law---the medical loss ratio limits---will mean that more of your money that you pay out each month for premiums will be going to your actual health care, and to improving the quality of that health care.

To give insurance companies time to adjust, these requirements will kick in next year. And if insurance companies do not meet these goals because their administrative costs or profits are too high, they must provide rebates to you, the consumers.

This is part of the larger goals of the Affordable Care Act: making insurance more affordable and more transparent; holding insurance companies accountable, and increasing the quality of your care.

The Medical Loss Ratio policy was in the spotlight last week when after an exhaustive review, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) released its recommendations on how to actually calculate the medical loss ratio of insurance companies.

In a statement, HHS's Katherine Sebelius thanked NAIC for their contributions, and laid out the next steps for consumers:

These recommendations are reasonable, achievable for insurers and will help to ensure insurance premiums are, for the most part, supporting health benefits for consumers. Not only do they ensure consumers receive better value for their health care dollar, they recognize special circumstances in different markets to preserve market stability and employee coverage as we transition to the new marketplace in 2014.

The next step is for the Department of Health and Human Services to issue a medical loss ratio regulation that will provide clear guidance to stakeholders in the coming weeks.

We will work quickly to promulgate this regulation, using the NAIC recommendations as a basis, because we believe these new policies will help ensure not only cost savings but higher quality care for consumers. We look forward to working closely with NAIC throughout the process.

Health insurance exchanges are a new competitive private health insurance marketplace, where consumers will be able to ‘shop around’ for the best benefit packages and bundle plans. You can find more information about the exchanges on healthcare.gov.

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

The California Health Benefit Exchange will provide a place for small businesses and people without employer-based insurance to join together to buy health insurance at lower rates, aided by federal subsidies to low- and middle-income consumers.

The idea for the exchange is that millions of people who now pay top dollar for insurance because they’re buying individually or in small groups — or forgoing coverage because of cost — will benefit from the exchange’s bulk purchasing power to get a better price. The exchange also is charged with making it easier for consumers to compare plans and choose what works best for them.

The Affordable Care Act specifies that people with a household income between 133 percent and 400 percent of the poverty rate will get an immediate tax credit to help offset the cost of insurance. Depending on income, people would pay no more than 2 percent to 9.5 percent of their income on health insurance.

The legislation comes in the wake of an announced $49 million in grants by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, meant specifically for the creation of these exchanges. California was awarded $1 million to begin implementation.

The White House recently released another helpeful health care PSA -- this time from Garth Graham, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services. Graham, a trained medical doctor, shares his experiences as a physician and explains how the Affordable Care Act is helping African Americans.

As Dr. Graham explains, the new law helps to bridge disparities in health care felt by African Americans by making access and early treatment much simpler and more affordable.

As a whole, minority communities have a much higher rate of chronic illness, and often fall prey to preventable diseases because of a lack of early detection. The Affordable Care Act will provide for preventative care to find and treat breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease and other diseases that disproportionately impact African American communities.

In a recent White House PSA, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis shares some statistics on current state of health care for Latinos and discusses new provisions in the Affordable Care Act that will help Latinos.

She talks about how many Latinos are currently uninsured and less likely to go the doctor than most Americans. Our new health care law will ensure that as many as 9 million unisured Latinos will be eligible for health care, and numerous provisions will prevent insurance companies from dropping them from coverage when they need it most.

It also includes programs that target young women, for whom breast cancer is particularly deadly. Specifically, the new law will fund early education campaigns, provide grants to support groups for young women fighting cancer, and direct the National Institutes of Health to develop new screening tests and methods to improve early detection in young women.

A recent story reported by Kaiser News illustrates the importance of reaching young women early. Robyn Haines found a lump under her arm last summer. She wasn't that concerned and she waited several months before seeing her doctor.

"The 28-year-old television newscaster eventually visited her gynecologist near her home in Cadillac, Mich., and her doctor said it was probably nothing but referred her for a mammogram and ultrasound "just to be safe." The results were inconclusive.

When she decided to go-ahead with surgery to remove the lump, she was "extremely shocked" to learn that she had an aggressive form of breast cancer."

Robyn underwent a bilateral mastectomy and chemotherapy and today is on the road to recovery. Hopefully over the coming years all women, like Robyn, will have the tools to detect this treatable disease and know how and where to get help.

A new webcast from the Department of Health and Human Services highlights the Adoption Tax Credit, one of many ways the Affordable Care Act is strengthening America’s families.

The Affordable Care Act raises the maximum adoption credit to $13,170 per child, up from $12,150 in 2009. It also makes the credit refundable, meaning that the money is yours, whether or not you owe taxes for that year.

Watch the full webcast and learn how the Adoption Tax Credit helps children, builds families and strengthens communities.

A dynamic new tool released today will help consumers understand and take advantage of all their health care benefits available under the Affordable Care Act.

HealthCare.gov's new feature allows consumers to instantly compare the pros and cons of health insurance plans that are available for purchase. Among the items you can compare are estimated monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and maximum out-of-pocket limits.

Now it's easier than ever to find the health plan, whether through private insurance or public programs, that best meets your needs.

Visit HealthCare.gov and start exploring your coverage options today!

For over 70 years the independent, non-profit Consumers Union has been watching out for the American consumer. Its popular Consumer Reports magazine and consumerreports.org website have for years been trusted guides for shoppers everywhere.

So it's no surprise that the Consumers Union has weighed in to help Americans make decisions in a market that may be more complex that any other: health care.

The organization has been fighting for years to pass health reforms, and has said that they are "Proud to have helped push for its historic passage. Now we are working to ensure the law is implemented fairly and that consumers fully benefit from the changes it will bring."

In the video above, President of the Consumers Union Jim Guest talks a little about the Affordable Care Act:

"There has been a lot of talk and confusion about health reform, but when you actually look at these changes, there are some good reforms here that could help a lot of people."

To help you navigate the oft-challenging health care landscape, the Consumers Union recently released a downloadable guide to health care, and has launched a new website, consumerreportshealth.org.

How is this happening? Medicare officials are holding down premiums and co-payments by negotiating with insurers, because of additional powers granted them by the Affordable Care Act.

The New York Times reported on the issue yesterday:

John K. Gorman, a former Medicare official who is now a consultant with clients in the insurance industry, said: “Today’s announcement shows that there is a new sheriff in town. Medicare officials were very specific and very forceful. Insurers succumbed to the government’s demands and stayed in the Medicare market because they have become much more dependent on Medicare business.”

Payment rates for Medicare Advantage plans will generally be frozen next year at 2010 levels, with rates subject to tighter constraints in subsequent years. The cuts are expected to save $136 billion over 10 years.

Read Robert Pear’s full article here.

Yesterday, Stephanie Cutter of the White House officially responded to the critics of health care reform:

Today is the six month anniversary of the new health reform law – the Affordable Care Act. The law is already having a real and meaningful impact in providing Americans with better coverage and lower costs. Today is also the day that the new law’s critical patient protections – the Patient’s Bill of Rights – takes effect, and the President met with Americans from all over the country yesterday who are already benefiting from these protections. Earlier this week, North Carolina Blue Cross Blue Shield announced that it would voluntarily provide more than $155 million in rebates to consumers as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Just today, we learned that WellPoint will return $20 million to consumers in Colorado as a result of the new law’s efforts to control unreasonable premium increases.

However, just as we’ve started to hold insurance companies accountable, a new Congressional Republican agenda wants to put them back in charge.

Repeal of the Affordable Care Act has real consequences for the American people and small businesses. The House Republican agenda claims to protect people with preexisting conditions, but it repeals the new law’s ban on discriminating against uninsured Americans, including children, who have a preexisting condition. It will raise taxes by more than $40 billion on up to 4 million small businesses that provide health benefits to their employees. It will result in premium increases by eliminating the billions of dollars in cost savings measures, and will increase the deficit by more than $1 trillion dollars. It will mean that seniors will pay more for their prescription drugs, and their new free preventive Medicare benefits will be cut. And, it will mean that millions of Americans will have to give up their new Patient's Bill of Rights protections, from the 21 year old now getting covered on his or her parents' plan to the woman getting the preventive care she needs to prevent breast cancer and the individual who has lost his right to appeal an insurance companies' decision to an independent 3rd party.

Read the full post here.

Below is a quick roundup of coverage that we’ve seen from the country’s major newspapers:

The New York Times highlighted some of new protections that take effect today, including the rule that no children will be dropped from their coverage for a pre-existing condition:

Starting now, insurance companies will no longer be permitted to exclude children because of pre-existing health conditions, which the White House said could enable 72,000 uninsured to gain coverage. Insurers also will be prohibited from imposing lifetime limits on benefits.

The Los Angeles Times wrote about the impact of the new law, and quoted the CEO of the nonprofit Consumers Union:

"There are many meaningful reforms here that, while not perfect, will help millions of consumers get a fairer shake when they buy and use health insurance," said Jim Guest, president and chief executive of Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

The Washington Post told the stories of several Americans who were relieved to gain better access to health care today, including a New England woman dealing with lymphoma:

Gail O'Brien, a teacher at a Montessori school from Keene, N.H., whose employer does not offer insurance, spoke of her anguish on receiving a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma this year - followed by her emotion on learning that she could apply to one of the new state-based "high-risk" pools the law established for people with preexisting conditions.

"You don't know how this has changed my life," said O'Brien, who wore a blue scarf to cover the hair she has lost through cancer treatments.

If the Affordable Care Act has changed your life, share your story with us now. For our overview of the new provisions that went into effect today, click here.

Today, September 23rd, is the day that health care reform becomes a reality. Here is a quick overview of the important changes that go into effect today:

• No More Getting Dropped After You Get Sick
  You no longer can be cut after the fact, period.

• Immediate Access, Even If You Have Pre-Existing Conditions
  Children younger than 19 no longer can no longer be rejected from health care plans due to pre-existing conditions, and new plans cannot exclude adults or children from coverage for a pre-existing condition.

• No More "Lifetime Limits"
  Insurers no longer can stop your benefits because you have "maxed out".

• Tax Credits for Small Businesses Providing Coverage to Workers
  Qualified small businesses will get tax credits to help cover up to 35 percent of their workers’ premiums.

• Medicare Prescription Drug Rebates for Seniors
  Medicare Part D enrollees who hit the Medicare prescription drug benefit gap in 2010 automatically will receive a $250 rebate check.

Click here for more information on the September 23rd changes, and visit healthcare.gov for a complete guide to the Affordable Care Act.

This short, animated movie — starring the "YouToons" — explains why America's health care system is broken and how the Affordable Care Act will help make affordable, quality health care a reality for millions of Americans.

Enjoy!

The truth is health care reform will strengthen Medicare by stopping wasteful overpayments, cutting down on fraud and abuse, reducing out-of-pocket costs, and providing seniors with free preventative care visits.

According to a report issued by the Medicare trustees, the Affordable Care Act has extended the financial solvency of Medicare by over a decade.

Responding to the Report, AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond said the following in a statement:

"The Medicare Trustees' Report issued today contains some important good news.  It finds the financial outlook for Medicare has been strengthened significantly as a result of legislative changes, increasing the solvency of the Trust Fund from 2017 until 2029. The report also demonstrates the importance of new tools included in the recent health care law that can increase the quality of care while helping individuals and Medicare save billions of dollars"

The Affordable Care Act further reinforces Medicare by adding significant new benefits for seniors, including subsidies for prescription drugs and free preventive care. In all, the Affordable Care Act will save seniors an estimated 200 dollars per year in premiums and more than 200 dollars each year in out-of-pocket costs.

Read more about how the new health care law strengthens Medicare at Healthcare.gov.

The Affordable Care Act makes it possible for parents to keep their children on their insurance plan. All policies, whether provided through work or self-funded, will provide extended coverage to young adults who need it.

Young adults are more likely to have part time jobs or work for employers that don't offer health insurance, and are less likely than older adults to be married and get coverage through a spouse. The new provision will provide roughly two million eligible young adults much-needed security and flexibility during these trying economic times.

A San Francisco Chronicle article told the story of 22-year old Allie Swislocki. Having just graduated from UCLA, Allie takes medications to manage an inflammatory condition but is otherwise healthy. In this challenging economy, finding a job has been tough, and with a pre-existing condition, Allie was feeling the pressure:

"It was a big worry for me, especially graduating into this job market. I didn't want to be stuck in a position where I felt I had to take a job I wasn't interested in just because I needed health care. The passing of this bill has been a huge weight off my shoulders."

More information on the young adult coverage provision can be found on the Healthcare.gov fact sheet here.

AmericasFairHealthCare.org's mission is to make it as easy as possible for you.

We've searched the web for neat and useful tools that can help you understand the Affordable Care Act, and find the health care plans and providers you need.

Below are a few of the best tools out there:

• Healthcare.gov: Overview of the Affordable Care Act
  The definitive resource if you're looking for any information on the new health care law

• Kaiser Family Foundation: Health care reform implementation timeline
  A comprehensive timeline showing when each piece of legislation will take effect

• Kaiser Family Foundation: Health reform subsidy calculator
  This handy tool will estimate the full health care tax credit that you’ll be eligible for when the full breadth of the reform is implemented in 2014

• Center for American Progress: Small business savings calculator
  A tool to help small business owners estimate the impact of health care reform on their company

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Hospital compare tool
  Use this tool to select several hospitals in your area, and compare their services — as well as the quality of their care.

For more links and tips, check out our resources page here.

The Affordable Care Act, passed in March 2010, puts into effect the needed protections for taxpayers, health care consumers and small businesses. However, with so many changes already implemented or coming soon, it's crucial to learn about the law so that you can find the best possible health care for you and your family.

That’s why we launched America’s Fair Health Care: to provide the resources Americans need to learn about health care reform and how it will work for them.

Some of the highlights you’ll find here:

• a timeline, so you’ll know when key pieces of the Affordable Care Act will be implemented

• a blog, where you can find regular updates and analysis of the health care bill, and learn more about what's happening in the news

• a list of the top myths that opponents of health care reform are spreading about the bill

• a resource center where you can find helpful tools and links to learn more about the Affordable Care Act and what it can do for you

Over the coming months, we will continue to grow the content on this site so you can use America'sFairHealthCare.org to get the most out of the new health care law.

Make sure to check back in soon — we look forward to hearing from you!

Starting in May 2008, when the failing economy prompted her employer to reorganize and lay her off, she spent her entire savings paying for COBRA over the course of 18 months. This money would have been her children's inheritance. That December, her doctor also diagnosed her with congestive heart disease.

Now Loralynn’s COBRA plan has expired, and she is uninsured. Up until this point, she’d always been able to maintain jobs that provided quality health insurance. But now she's having trouble just making ends meet. The bank has put a lien on her home. Her children are paying for her insulin and other medication, and she can’t test her blood sugar as often as her doctor says she should. She can’t afford to see this doctor to manage her diabetes anymore, so she’s trying to manage it on her own.

Loralynn is in dire need of health insurance, and she's risking her life to get it. Because her heart is under great stress, her doctors urge her to avoid working. Some have even recommended that she get herself on the list for a heart transplant — she’d be a good candidate, because she's not overweight. But she's vigorously searching for a job that will offer her the coverage she needs. She has no other choice.

Ellena, a recent first-time mother, has spent her life struggling to overcome debilitating health problems — and struggling to pay for coverage. Both of her parents died of cancer. She was diagnosed with genetic melanoma when she was 10 and gastrointestinal cancer when she was a sophomore in college. Her health-care-fueled debt is so overwhelming that she’s not even sure how big it is anymore.

A Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy, as is her husband, Ellena has been insured a few times through school and COBRA, but "pre-existing condition" clauses have delayed and limited her care, and the policies have never covered everything she needs. Her student loans have disqualified her for most assistance, even though her fellowship pay is well below the poverty level.

Ellena gave birth to her son, Liev, in December 2009. During her high-risk pregnancy, she had to endure a multitude of medical therapies and treatments. Liev was born with several medical issues, and the insurance company claimed that Ellena’s medical conditions and life-sustaining medications caused them — and therefore that Liev’s conditions were pre-existing. The company denied most of the benefits promised in its plan.

Ellena’s husband has had to increase his course load to full time so he can take out additional student loans to pay for their COBRA plan, which costs more than $500 a month, and other medical costs not covered by their insurance. Unfortunately, the COBRA plan does not cover the special formula Liev needs, which costs roughly $550 a month.

Now requiring ongoing treatment for both herself and her sick infant, Ellena finds herself making painful choices between her own health and that of her baby.

As a full-time MBA candidate on a student insurance plan, Eboni assumed that any unforeseen health costs would mostly be paid for. But then weeks of pain led to a visit to the emergency room and a diagnosis of a ruptured cyst, which ultimately could have caused her to lose her ovaries.

After she had the necessary (and expensive) surgery, Eboni’s insurance company declared that she had a pre-existing condition, and it denied her coverage retroactively. Her unpaid medical bills totaled $34,000, an unimaginable amount for someone who was barely getting by on student loans. And her health problems were far from solved: She couldn’t even see a doctor for follow-up. Though she only had one more semester to go before earning her degree, she almost had to quit school and find a job so she could get basic insurance.

This story has a happier ending than many. With the help of a lawyer who threatened legal action on her behalf, Eboni was able to get the decision reversed and the debt erased. But should any American have to wage a legal battle to force an insurance company to cover the bills it said it would?