Not until 2014 apparently. Here are some highlights of highlights for HNers from from Reuters (
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1914020220100319)
This year:
- Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.
- Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
- Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.
- A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.
In 2011:
- Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees' W-2 tax forms.
- An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.
In 2013:
- The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income. The threshold remains at 7.5 percent for the elderly through 2016.
- A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.
In 2014:
- State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals open.
- Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don't. Health-care tax credits become available to help people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty purchase coverage on the exchange.
- Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
- Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren't counted for the fine.
- Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.
In 2018:
- An excise tax on high cost employer-provided plans is imposed. The first $27,500 of a family plan and $10,200 for individual coverage is exempt from the tax. Higher levels are set for plans covering retirees and people in high risk professions.