A new day dawns for health care

As we wish our friends and family a happy, healthy New Year, these words have renewed meaning in 2014.

Jan. 1 will be a new day in health care for millions of families and individuals in the Las Vegas area and throughout Nevada.

Starting this Wednesday, Jan. 1, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage or charge you more because of a pre-existing medical condition such as diabetes, high-blood pressure or asthma. And they will no longer be able to drop you from coverage just because you get sick or are in an accident.

What’s more, insurance companies will no longer be able to impose an annual cap on your health benefits.

They won’t be able to deny you coverage simply because you made a mistake on your paperwork.

Most plans will cover preventive services such as cholesterol and cancer screenings, at no out-of-pocket cost. And being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition.

It’s all thanks to the health care law: The Affordable Care Act.

If you do not have health insurance through your job, you have an opportunity to obtain quality, affordable coverage through nevadahealthlink.com. In fact, you may even qualify for financial assistance to help lower the cost of your premiums.

The Health Insurance Marketplace has brought choice and competition to Nevada that were previously unavailable. And as millions of Americans learn about their new options, they’re finding just how affordable health coverage can be under the new law. Nationwide, six in 10 uninsured Americans can obtain coverage for as little as $100 a month or less.

Make no mistake: The plans offered on the marketplace are actual, honest-to-goodness health insurance.

By law, they must cover a set of essential benefits, including visits with doctors, prescription medications, hospital stays, ambulatory care, maternity and newborn care, and preventive services.

You still have three more months to enroll in affordable coverage — the deadline is March 31.

If you want your health insurance to begin Feb. 1, you’ll need to sign up by Jan. 15.

You can enroll online at nevadahealthlink.com, by phone at 1-800-318-2596/TTY 1-855-889-4325, on paper, or directly through an insurer, agent or broker. You can also find in-person assistance in your community at LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov.

This is a milestone for the many families who have waited too long for affordable health insurance because of a broken system that was stacked against them. Before today, Americans could be dropped from coverage when they got sick, or locked out of the system if they had a health condition, or priced out in the first place because of their health status. Now, not only are there new rights and benefits, we are also seeing the slowest health care price inflation in 50 years.

Whenever I travel to Nevada, I meet folks who tell me how long they’ve been waiting for the opportunity to obtain affordable coverage. Some have even been waiting their entire lives.

I keep thinking about Diane, who I met recently in Michigan. In the past, Diane’s pre-existing medical condition had made finding quality, affordable health insurance nearly impossible.

After being uninsured for more than six years, Diane recently enrolled in coverage using HealthCare.gov. Now, Diane no longer needs to worry about treating her condition — or going bankrupt because of an unexpected illness or injury.

For Diane and for millions of Americans like her, it will be a new day in health care because of the Affordable Care Act. And we continue to work together toward the goal of making affordable coverage accessible to every American who wants it.

Kathleen Sebelius is U.S. Health and Human Services secretary.