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AARP Bulletin Releases New Comprehensive User's Guide to Health Care Reform

WASHINGTON, April 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the wake of President Obama signing health care reform into law, AARP Bulletin today released a new user's guide to help consumers navigate the details of the new law and how it will impact them both now and further down the road when it is fully implemented. This special section features must-know details, including changes to Medicare, employer insurance, taxes, and small businesses -- all boiled down to the basics of what YOU need to know. Available exclusively online today at http://bulletin.aarp.org, this eight-page insert will also be delivered to over 24 million homes in the May issue of AARP Bulletin, out May 1st. Specific topics covered include:

For Americans Now in Medicare: Find out how the new law will impact basic benefits, premiums, new Part B and Part D benefits, coverage for people under 65 with disabilities, Medicare solvency and more.

For the 160,600,000 Americans Receiving Employer-Provided Insurance: AARP Bulletin explains new protections, options, incentives and pricing that will impact employer insurance under the new law.

For Uninsured or Self-Insured Americans: Millions of Americans currently pay the highest rates for health coverage because they buy it on their own while others -- especially many of those ages 50-to-64 -- can't buy it at any price because they have pre-existing medical conditions. Learn how the new law will make private insurance more accessible and fairer for consumers regardless of age or preexisting conditions, increase coverage for adult children, impact enrollment and premium protections, and more.

For Americans Running or Working for a Small Business: Close to 80 percent of American businesses employ fewer than 10 workers and less than half of these companies offer health insurance. AARP Bulletin explains how tax credits and new insurance options help small businesses provide coverage for their employees, as well as the new law's impact on workers who want to change jobs or start their own businesses.

For Americans with Moderate or Low Income: Getting access to health insurance is important, but so is finding a way to pay for it. AARP Bulletin tackles limits on out-of-pocket spending, exchanges, and subsidies, as well as shares how tax credits and lower group rates will affect families' wallets.

PLUS:

    --  Five Things in the Law That May Surprise You:  Under the new law, chain
        restaurants and vending machines must display and disclose calorie
        counts for all foods.  Check the full list for surprising details of how
        Members of Congress and even tanning parlors will be affected.
    --  Who Must Have Insurance?:  Starting in 2014 almost all U.S. residents
        must have at least basic health insurance.  AARP Bulletin explains what
        will qualify as insurance in the years to come.
    --  How Insurance Exchanges Will Work: Beginning in January of 2014,
        Americans will be able to shop around for the best deal on state-run
        exchanges, much like they do on travel Web sites.  AARP Bulletin shares
        how insurance plans will vary, what plans must include, and how
        Americans will be able to compare prices on coverage options.
    --  Just Where are Those Savings Coming From?: The new law will wring $390
        billion in savings from Medicare in the next decade to help pay for
        Medicare improvements and other health care system changes. AARP
        Bulletin looks at how the new legislation will reduce costs and still
        improve drug coverage and preventive care in Medicare.

A Spanish-language version of this guide is also available at www.aarp.org/viva. Additionally, AARP recently launched a new online resource for people with questions about the new law. The new "Health Care Reform Explained" column - available at www.aarp.org/getthefacts - provides practical answers to questions submitted by visitors. Each week, AARP is answering the top questions about the new health care reform law emailed by readers to HCRquestions@aarp.org.

For additional information and exclusive online features, visit AARP Bulletin Today (http://bulletin.aarp.org), the only daily, go-to news source for people 50+.

About AARP Bulletin

The definitive news source for AARP's members, AARP Bulletin (bulletin.aarp.org) reaches more than 24 million households each month in print, with additional news and in-depth coverage online. Covering health and health policy, Medicare, Social Security, consumer protection, personal finance, and AARP state and national news developments, AARP Bulletin delivers the story behind the key issues confronting 50+ America. The monthly consumer-oriented news publication has become a must-read for congressional lawmakers and Washington opinion leaders, and it provides AARP members with pertinent information they need to know. AARP Bulletin Today is the daily go-to news Web site for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.7 million readers; AARP Bulletin and AARP Bulletin Today, the daily go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. multimedia brand dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

SOURCE AARP