Health care changes go into effect today

President Obama signed his historic health care reform bill into law back in March, and now, six months later, three key provisions in the bill take effect:

There will no longer be a lifetime cap on health insurance.
Parents can now keep their child under their plan until they are 26 years old.
Insurance companies can no longer refuse coverage for children with pre-existing conditions.

The Takeaway’s Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, explains these provisions, and why these three are the ones we’re seeing first.

Brenda Neubauer’s son is 16 years old and suffers from hemophilia B. He was close to reaching the cap on his health insurance when the bill was signed. “The cap was a constant stress for me. I don’t think there was one day that I didn’t think about it,” she said. The lifting of the cap is a huge relief to her and her family.

Duncan Anderson just turned 25 years old, and he has been uninsured for quite some time, while working two part-time jobs. With the new provisions going into effect today, Duncan will be able to go back under his parents’ health plans.