PPACA: The webinar answers, part 1

A few weeks ago, we joined with Aflac Inc. (NYSE:AFL) to run a webinar on the possible effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on the commercial health insurance community.

Webinar attendees submitted 44 questions about topics more substantive than “How do I find a recording of the webinar?” (The answer to that question. Please click here. Fill out a registration form and you will get access to the webinar archive.)

The underlying, unspoken question seemed to be, “What will happen to me?”

The answer to that seems, really, to be, “Be kind and live to the fullest, for no one knows what the future holds.”

Here are attempts to answer the first batch of six questions.

1. Why does everyone seem to call the law something different?

“PPACA” is actually part of a two-law package — PPACA itself and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA).

The Obama administration and some PPACA critics who are trying to show they are fair-minded about call the law “the ACA.”

Many people and organizations that hate the law call it “Obamacare.”

Some people and organizations that are trying to be neutral call the law “PPACA.”

Both supporters and critics call the law a “health reform law.” Some people and organizations that are trying to be neutral wonder there one person’s “health reform law” is another person’s “health system mangling law” and call the law a “health system change law.”

2. What does all of this mean for carriers of products such as dental insurance and vision insurance?

Insurers will probably sell some stand-alone dental visions through the exchange system in most if not all states.

It’s possible that major medical plans sold through the exchanges will include pediatric dental benefits, but HHS seems to be indicating that, because all exchanges will probably offer stand-alone dental plans, the major medical plans may not need to offer pediatric dental benefits, after all.