California Health Care Reform

The landmark federal health care law is comprised of two pieces of legislation that President Obama signed into law in March of this year: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.  

The new law is predicated on the principle of shared responsibility - it requires health plans and insurers to provide access to insurance to individuals, regardless of their health status, age or occupation; it requires individuals to purchase and maintain insurance coverage for themselves and their families; it requires government to set the rules for the insurance marketplace and to support access to affordable coverage for our lower income residents; and, it requires individuals, families and communities to assume more responsibility to manage their health and be more involved in health care decisions.