7 Little-Known Health Care Reform Gems

A law as far-reaching as health care reform legislation with 2,407 pages and a $940 billion price tag is bound to contain programs and grants that are overlooked.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes millions in spending on a smorgasbord of programs designed to improve your health outside the doctor's office. With grants for everything from revamping school clinics, to designing sidewalks to encourage walking, health care reform could be a gold mine if you're looking to improve your family's health without spending your own money to do it.

Here are some provisions that may help.

Calorie labeling on menus

Eating at a restaurant can be a guessing game for those who want to watch their calorie intake. The act requires chain restaurants with more than 20 locations to post calorie content on their menus, allowing customers to make healthier decisions about what foods they choose.

The change won't affect smaller, mom-and-pop operations, so you'll have to keep guessing about how much of a hit your waistline will take from the cheeseburgers at your local diner.

Some communities just aren't set up for a healthy lifestyle. The health care reform law provides up to $50 million for Community Transformation Grants to promote access to healthy food and to encourage exercise.

The grants will be awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and could be used for projects such as creating healthy, school-lunch programs and building bike lanes and sidewalks.

Small business workplace wellness programs

Ever wish your office had a gym or you could get some kind of healthy food from the break room vending machine? The new law provides $200 million in grants to small businesses to create healthier work environments for employees, offer incentives for workers to eat better and to exercise, and even offer free tests and medical screenings at work.

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