CalPERS: Calif. Residents Already Benefiting From Health Reform

Supporters of the federal health reform law are touting a recent letter that CalPERS sent to HHS describing how the overhaul is benefiting Californians, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports (Millman, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 12/10).

Letter Details

On Friday, CalPERS wrote that many California residents already are seeing benefits from three steps that the pension system is taking to implement the Affordable Care Act. CalPERS noted that it has:

• Removed lifetime benefits limits from all health plans offered through the pension system;
• Started participating in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, which has helped it reduce health insurance premiums by more than 3% for retirees and their families; and
• Taken steps to extend dependent health coverage to adults younger than age 26 and plans to add more than 27,000 young adults to their parents' health plans by Jan. 1, 2011 (HHS release, 12/10).

Touting CalPERS' Efforts

Several California Democrats issued statements praising CalPERS for working to implement key elements of the reform law.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said CalPERS' efforts "show that the law is containing costs for employers and already extending coverage to tens of thousands of people" ("Healthwatch," The Hill, 12/10).