Routine checkup on health reform law, six months later

 It's now been six months since Congress passed the sweeping health care reform bill, after a heated and heavily partisan public debate. To mark this milestone, HHS released a well-crafted promotional video on Sept. 23, when an additional eight provisions of the reform law went into effect.

Here's a quick rundown on the measures. Health plans must:

1. No longer deny coverage to children younger than 19 with pre-existing conditions (such as asthma).
2. No longer place lifetime limits on benefits, helpful for folks with pricey conditions like cancer. 
3. Cancel coverage without proving fraud via the controversial "recission" process. 
4. Allow appeals of all denied claims. New health plans are required to offer appeal for all decisions involving denial of coverage. 
5. Fully cover preventive services, which mean no out-of-pocket pay to collect for services such as screenings, vaccinations and counseling that are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF). 
6. Cover young adults via their parents' plans until age 26. This is a one-year extension as the previous limit was age 25. 
7. Choose a primary care doctor. New health plans are required to let patients choose their primary care provider from their provider network and must cover OB/GYN visits without needing a referral from another doctor. 
8. Use the nearest emergency room without penalty. New health plans can't require patients to get prior approval before seeking emergency room services from an out-of-network provider or hospital.

The latest September tracking polls from the Kaiser Family Foundation show that 49% of Americans are "in favor" of the reform law while 40% are "against" the law. It's a mediocre net improvement for those in favor, which was at 46% in April before rising and dipping and rising back up to the current 49%.

Those against have pretty much held steady at 40%, although of these 40%, a significant majority (70%) say they are "angry about the general direction in Washington health reform is one of many things" that upset them. Only 20% of those against reform say they have a particular beef against the reform law, according to Kaiser.

Your practice, your patients: What's been the reaction to health reform over the last six months in your neck of the woods? Are you and your providers fully up-to-date on the provisions as they go into effect? Have your patients been asking about them, and have they expressed positive or negative opinions? Let us know by sharing your comment in the box below!