Opionion: Insurance Exchanges May Change Special-Needs Landscape

Twenty percent of the U.S. population has disabilities, half of which are reportedly “serious.” The Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare), by establishing new health insurance exchanges and offering states the opportunity to expand Medicaid, has the potential to transform the special-needs landscape. But the best choice among newly available options won’t be obvious.On Oct. 1, when New York’s exchange begins accepting applications, will mark the first time for many families that private insurance is a practical alternative to Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act stipulates that pre-existing conditions cannot disqualify an individual for insurance or lead to higher premiums. Annual and lifetime caps will become history. And policies offered on the exchanges must cover a menu of “essential benefits.”