North Carolinians

How Health Care Reform Will Affect Everyone

Health care reform will change the way people buy and use health care in a number of ways.

When state exchanges are established online in 2014, they'll provide a new way to shop for health insurance, even though most people will still be able to get coverage under their employers' insurance plans. Exactly how insurance exchanges will work is unknown at this time, but some people think the experience will be similar to how travel plans can be made on websites like Orbitz^® or Expedia^®.
Subsidies will help millions of people who are currently uninsured to afford health insurance. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 20 million American households will be eligible for subsidies.

Because insurance plans will now cover preventive care and screenings without any out-of-pocket cost, these important services are likely to be used more often.
Changes to insurance rules will make it easier for Americans to gain and keep their insurance coverage.
- Young adults will remain on their parents’ insurance longer
- People with costly health issues will be assured they can get coverage regardless of their conditions
- Annual or lifetime limits for how much care a person receives will be restricted and then eliminated
Because of these changes, more people will seek the services of doctors and hospitals. However, there is currently a severe shortage of primary care doctors in North Carolina and across the United States. The new law aims to increase the supply of these services, especially in areas with the largest shortages. But these efforts will take years to have any significant impact. How supply and demand will affect people's care choices and waiting times remains to be seen.