Sebelius Touts Early Health Reform Implementation - May 20, 2010

On May 10, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius submitted a letter to congressional leaders highlighting the work already underway at HHS and other departments to implement the health reform law. Among the early successes, Sebelius pointed to the expansion of private insurance coverage to dependents up to age 26, assurances from the insurance industry not to deny children coverage due to pre-existing conditions and not to rescind coverage of existing policyholders, implementation of high-risk pools and the early retiree reinsurance program, tax credits for small businesses to provide insurance, agreements from the insurance industry to accelerate compliance with medical loss ratio requirements, and the initiation of the process to close the Medicare Part D donut hole.