Many Teamsters will soon benefit from the historic health care reform legislation that President Obama signed into law on March 23.

Reform will help control the skyrocketing cost of health insurance over the long term. It will make our employers more competitive and strengthen our economy while providing coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

But even in the short term, Teamsters and their families who have health insurance through their employers will gain from health care reform.

Starting no later than January 1, 2011 for most plans:

• Parents will be able to keep adult children on their policy to age 26. Many employers are making this change before January 1, 2011. The federal government recently issued regulations on the requirements for employers and insurers to provide coverage to young adults up to age 26.
• Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.
• Insurance companies will not be able to cancel a person’s coverage if they get sick.

A $250 rebate will be given to Medicare beneficiaries who hit the gap under their Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage in 2010.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working furiously to implement these changes. Many, many details need to be ironed out.

We will post information on this site about what health care reform means to you as it becomes available.