On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the most sweeping health care reform legislation since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in the mid 1960s. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act (collectively, "Act"), will eventually impact nearly every employer, business, individual and health care provider in America.

The Act is over 900 pages long, and it includes some provisions that have received considerable attention, such as individual and employer mandates to obtain insurance coverage. Many other provisions have not received such attention, yet they will have a significant impact on individuals and employers. There is also a perception among some that the Act does not become effective for several years. While this is true for certain provisions, such as the excise tax on high cost health insurance plans, several other important provisions will require many employers to review and revise their employee benefit plans as early as September 2010.

It is important that Chamber members and other Indiana employers understand the many changes under the new health care reform Act and the impact these changes will have on their business. To assist in this regard, the Chamber and Ice Miller are hosting the third in a series of seminars on health care reform on April 29, 2010, at the Hilton in downtown Indianapolis.

This seminar will include presentations on the following topics:

• Background on the Health Care Reform Debate
• Overview of Key Parts of the Act and a Timeline for Implementation
• Impact on Employers and Benefit Plans
• Impact on Taxpayers and Taxes

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller will discuss the litigation filed by Indiana and several other states to challenge certain aspects of the Act.  Additionally, the conference will include two panel discussions with distinguished speakers.  One panel will feature representatives from Anthem, Eli Lilly (invited), the Cook Group, the Indiana Hospital Association and the Indiana State Medical Association discussing the Act’s impact on the health care industry. The second panel discussion will focus on the Act’s impact on large and small employers and union employees and will include speakers from Fairfield Manufacturing, Womack Restaurants, and the Indiana Chamber. There will also be focus group sessions during the conference lunch on topics of interest to certain groups. Ice Miller lawyers with applicable experience will facilitate discussions and answer questions on the following topics:

• Benefit plans, wellness programs, and other cost reduction efforts
• Business and funding opportunities created by the new law
• Impact on health care providers

This seminar provides a unique opportunity to learn about the sweeping changes and to hear how other individuals and businesses plan to deal with these changes. We urge you to attend.