 If I receive services from Ryan White or AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), do I still
need insurance?
Answer [+]
Yes. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS program pays health service fees for some people with HIV. Some HIV patients receive services from an arm of Ryan White called the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (commonly called ADAP). Ryan White and ADAP are NOT health insurance, and do NOT meet the requirement to have insurance, known as the individual mandate.
In some cases, Ryan White or ADAP may purchase insurance coverage for you or provide you with services today. But if you will be eligible for new coverage through Obamacare – officially known as the Affordable Care Act (or ACA)–in the health care marketplace or through Medicaid, the services or financial support you receive from Ryan White or ADAP may change or be replaced by insurance. If you are receiving help from Ryan White or ADA, it’s important that you contact the program to find out about new options.
If your insurance plan has limits or gaps in what it covers, or if your insurance charges cost-sharing or co-payments when you access services or fill a prescription, Ryan White or ADAP may be able to help you cover those costs. Ryan White may also be able to help connect you to new health coverage in your state. To learn about Ryan White and ADAP services in your state, click here>
If you are a person with HIV and you are ineligible for Medicaid or a marketplace health plan, Ryan White or ADAP may be able to help you as well.
Source: greaterthan.org
Will I be charged more for insurance because I have HIV (or another health condition)?
Answer [+]
No. Obamacare – officially known as the Affordable Care Act (or ACA)–prohibits health insurance companies from discriminating based on HIV status or any other pre-existing health condition. This means you cannot be charged more for insurance, denied coverage, or dropped from coverage because you have HIV or any other health condition. This is a very important change for people with HIV who, prior to the ACA, often could not obtain affordable coverage.
Source: greaterthan.org
What if I am lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)? Will that affect my health
insurance coverage and options?
Answer [+]
New federal policies – including Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act (or ACA) – put in place important new protections for LGBT individuals and their families.
Health insurance marketplaces, which are new organizations set up in every state to create more organized and competitive markets for buying coverage – are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. You cannot be turned away or charged more for being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered. You also can’t be denied coverage or charged more because of any pre-existing health condition, such as your HIV status. Insurers can’t limit how much they’ll spend on your medical care – over a year or over a lifetime.
Under Obamacare, these protections extend to the health benefits provided in the Marketplace plans, which cannot discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or health status in how they design their essential health benefits.
In addition to these marketplace protections, the ACA prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in all health programs that receive federal funding.
The Defense of Marriage Act Supreme Court Ruling and What it Means for Your Insurance Options:
Beyond the new protections in Obamacare, the Supreme Court’s June 2013 ruling overturning part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) means that same sex marriages are now recognized under federal law. They are treated the same as heterosexual marriages, and in many cases, this recognition exists whether or not you live in a state that recognizes same sex marriage. This has implications for the new health care Marketplaces as well as for Medicaid and CHIP:
>Marketplace: Because of the DOMA decision, legally married same sex couples can apply jointly for tax credits in the marketplace. These tax credits help you pay the costs of your health plan, and are available even if you currently live in a state that does not recognize same sex marriage. Tax credits are calculated based on your federal income tax filing, so if you are legally married to someone of the same sex, you can claim credits jointly with your spouse. If you are not legally married – if you are in a domestic partnership, a civil union, or another relationship –you’ll still be able to get these credits but will need to apply for them as an individual instead of as a couple; depending on your state Marketplace, you may be able to use your individual credits to buy a family policy rather than two individual policies.
>Medicaid and CHIP: States may now choose to recognize same-sex marriages when determining whether or not you meet your state’s income eligibility requirement for Medicaid and CHIP.
There are also other new federal policies designed to protect you and your family. Hospitals must now allow visitation by a same sex partner and same sex partners may be afforded the same treatment as other spouses for long-term care, such as nursing home care under Medicaid. In addition, same sex couples now have the same rights as others to name a representative to make medical decisions on a patient’s behalf.
Source: greaterthan.org
Can I keep my own doctor when I buy insurance in the marketplace/ exchange?
Answer [+]
It depends. If staying with your current doctor is important to you, check to see if s/he is included in a health plan’s network before choosing a marketplace plan. Most health plans offered in the marketplace have “networks” of hospitals, doctors, specialists, pharmacies, and other health care providers. Depending on the type of policy you buy, care may be covered only when you get it from a network provider. Each plan sold in the Marketplace must provide a link on the Marketplace web site to its health provider directory so you can find out if your doctor is included. If staying with your doctor is important to you, you should also check directly with your doctor to confirm that s/he is in the network of the plan you are considering.
Source: greaterthan.org
Obamacare and Coverage For Immigrants
By: Kaiser Health News
Read abstract [+] Read Article 
The health law will help some gain coverage, although those in the country illegally will not get access to federal subsidies or to insurance sold through new state-based exchanges.
What the Affordable Care Act Means to Communities of Color
By: Dr. Nadine Gracia, Office of Minority Health
Read abstract [+] Read Article
There are many ways we can measure the impact of the Affordable Care Act - from the more than 500,000 previously uninsured African American young adults who have gained coverage from a parent's health plan, to the 10.2 million uninsured Latinos who will be eligible for coverage through the Marketplace, to the 7.3 million African Americans and 8.2 million Latinos who already had insurance but can now receive preventive services, such as diabetes and cancer screenings, at no extra cost.
20 Questions You Have About Obamacare But Are Too Afraid To Ask
By: Annie-Rose Strasser and Tara Culp-Ressler
Read abstract [+] Read Article
If you’re confused about Obamacare, you’re not alone. Over the past several years, every survey on the subject has revealed that Americans consistently fail to correctly identify the provisions that are actually in the Affordable Care Act. In April, a poll found that 40 percent of Americans weren’t sure about whether Obamacare was still law at all.
Implications of the Affordable Care Act for People With HIV Infection and
the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: What Does the Future Hold?
By: IAS-USA
Read abstract [+] Download PDF 
There are numerous aspects of the Affordable Care Act that will be important for people with HIV in the U.S., including consumer protections and private insurance reforms, establishment of health care marketplaces in every state, new benefit standards, Medicare fixes, prevention enhancements, expansion of Medicaid, and health system improvements.
Helping People With HIV Navigate the Transition to ACA Coverage: Summary of a
Roundtable Discussion
By: Kaiser Family Foundation
Read abstract [+] Download PDF
In March 2013, the Kaiser Family Foundation convened key HIV/AIDS stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds to explore opportunities for maximizing the beneficial impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for people living with HIV and examine strategies to help them navigate the transition to new health coverage. This report summarizes the information shared and key issues discussed at the meeting.
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