Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

On May 30th the Illinois state legislature passed the Illinois Health Benefits Act that authorized the creation of a health insurance exchange, making it the 10th state to pass a health exchange bill. Governor Pat Quinn (D) has indicated that he will sign the bill into law.

On May 31st the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will lower premiums for the federally administered Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) as much as 40 percent in 18 states and that it will also ease eligibility requirements in 23 states and the District of Columbia. PCIP was created under the ACA in order to serve as a bridge to 2014 when the prohibition on denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions takes effect. The HHS press release can be found here.