On March 23rd, 2010 President Obama signed into law the Health Care Reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Many of the items of the law have been put into place; dependent children coverage to age 26, no pre-existing conditions for children under age 19, no dollar limits on benefits, expansion of preventative services, but several other items, including the establishment of medical exchanges will be in the forefront this year.

Medical Exchanges are set to be put into place in the United States by January 1, 2014. The purpose is to help provide benefits to the 30 million Americans who currently do not have coverage. How they are planning on accomplishing this is by expanding Medicaid benefits to lower income Americans, and providing subsidies to Americans who earn less than $85,000/year as a family. This new law will cost approximately $938 Billion dollars over the next 10 years.

Each state is allowed to establish their own medical exchanges to help their residents attain coverage. This will allow states to have oversight on the benefits provided, that may vary from the essential set of benefits that the federal government will require to be in place for all Americans. Currently, there are two legislative bills in Nebraska’s Unicameral to establish a Nebraska Medical Exchange. However, our state will be moving cautiously until the United States Supreme Court hears argument about the legality of Mandatory coverage for all Americans. In March, the Supreme Court will hear the arguments and will make a decision by the end of June. A special Legislative session may be held by Nebraska’s Unicameral to start our own exchange once the judgment has been issued by the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court upholds the law in June, the Educators Health Alliance will support a Nebraska Medical Exchange and will support state legislation to help our residents attain coverage that meets the needs of Nebraska.