The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Health Care Reform

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Health care reforms mandated by this law will ultimately expand coverage to millions of Americans and will require a large number of changes to the insurance industry. These changes will affect all Mississippians in one way or another. The Mississippi Insurance Department and other Mississippi state agencies are diligently analyzing the many components and implementation timelines for the benefits mandated by PPACA. As many details are not yet available, we ask that you check this website periodically for updated information.


Kaiser Family Foundation video - "Get Ready For Obamacare: Changes Coming Your Way Under the ACA" Click HERE to watch.


Mississippi Health Insurance Exchange Advisory Board


Exchange Related Materials


Mississippi Insurance Department Federal Grants for Health Care Reform


Additional Information


Related Press Releases


Helpful Websites

The following websites may provide further guidance for Mississippians:


Fact Sheets and FAQ's


Health Care Implementation Timeline
Implementation Date Items Implemented
March 23, 2010 through March 2011
  • Authorizes tax credits to small businesses for offering coverage to employees
  • Gives a $250 rebate to seniors reaching Medicare Part D “donut hole” in 2010
June 2010
  • Requires states to have temporary high-risk pools or mechanism for uninsured people with pre-existing conditions
September 2010
  • Prohibits insurers from rescinding coverage after a sickness, imposing life time caps, and denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions
  • Allows parents to keep children on their policies until age 26
2011
  • Requires medical loss ratios of 80 and 85 percent, respectively, for individual/small group and large group plans
  • Begins a voluntary Long Term Care (LTC) program financed through payroll deductions
2012
  • Imposes a new annual fee on drug manufacturers
2013
  • Raises the Medicare payroll tax for high-income workers and imposes a new tax on medical device sales
2014
  • Requires states to implement insurance exchanges for individual/small business markets (federal funding to states is available from 3/2011 to 1/1/2015
  • Prohibits insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions and imposes a new annual fee on health insurers
  • Imposes a mandate that individuals acquire health insurance coverage or pay, by 2016, the greater of $695 or 2.5 percent of income
  • Imposes mandates on employers with 50+ workers: offer coverage or by 2014 pay $2000/FT worker (excluding the first 30); if offer unaffordable coverage, pay $3000/employee receiving taxpayer assistance to buy it or a total of $2000/employee, whichever is more (Employers of 50 or fewer workers are exempt.)
  • Expands Medicaid to those making under 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level
2018
  • Imposes new taxes on so-called "Cadillac" health insurance policies