From our president

This monthly letter to subscribers from Consumers Union President Jim Guest highlights the critical consumer issues behind our current reports. See archived letters.

Now read this!

Chances are, you still have questions about the federal health-care reform law. Who doesn't, given its scope?

This spring marked one year since the bill was signed. Some new protections are already in place; the rest will phase in by 2014. Consumers Union has produced a guide to help you figure out how you and your family can take advantage of the benefits and to alert you to the fine print. You can download it free at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org/insurance and in Spanish at www.ConsumerReportsenEspanol.org/salud.

For example, you now have the right to appeal to an independent review board if your insurance company denies your claim. And annual and lifetime limits, plus coverage of preventive services, have improved for many—but not all—types of plans.

For people who are uninsured or lose their coverage, new options exist for young adults under the age of 26 to stay on a parent's plan and for people with pre-existing conditions to buy into new state insurance pools. (To find a plan in your state, start by going to www.PCIP.gov.) But there are exceptions and limitations.

The guide describes new free preventive services for Medicare recipients such as annual exams, mammograms, and colonoscopies. And it spells out many substantial discounts on prescription drugs.

This summer, we'll post a new guide to changes in Medicare at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org. We want to help you decipher it all because confusion shouldn't stop you from saving money and reaping the benefits.

Jim Guest
President