PPACA or the Affordable Care Act, of course, is the health care reform law that Congress passed in March 2010. Today, I discovered a consolidated version of PPACA that puts all of the pieces — the original Senate bill, the Senate amendments, and the reconciliation bill (HCERA) together for ease of reference.

Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D Maryland) introduced a bill today that would amend the FEHB Act so that it conforms with the dependent child eligibility provision in PPACA (Sec. 1001 creating Public Health Service Act Section 2714 — try out the consolidated PPACA).  In other words, the bill would increase the FEHB Act’s dependent children age ceiling from 22 to 26 and it would remove the current FEHB Act provision that terminates coverage if a dependent child marries. The effective date for the change is January 1, 2011, but the bill would allow the OPM Director to accelerate the changes into this year presumably by regulation.

HHS issued today an interim final rule creating PPACA’s Early Retiree Insurance Program effective June 1, 2010. Business Insurance explains that “Under a $5 billion program—authorized by the new health care reform law—employers with health care plans covering retirees from age 55 through 64 will be reimbursed for 80% of such retirees’ claims between $15,000 and $90,000. The HHS rule, however, excludes expressly FEHB plans from participation in the Program, notwithstanding the fact that FEHB plans are employer sponsored, cover millions of early retirees, and are underwritten by private sector carriers, not the federal government.

Businessweek reported yesterday that

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 12 other business groups asked members of President Obama’s cabinet * * * for more leeway in implementing the health-care overhaul.

The groups said they’re being forced to make contract, employee-benefit and other decisions without guidance on how to comply with provisions that take effect in September. The letter dated April 30 was sent to {Treasury Secretary Timothy} Geithner, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

The groups, which include the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, the National Retail Federation and the American Benefits Council, requested at least six months to comply with the regulations once they are implemented, and a “good-faith” standard for measuring compliance.

I also discovered today that Senator Tom Coburn (R OK) has created a web page with links to all of the Congressional Research Service reports on PPACA’s impact.