Health Affairs

Now that the Obama Administration has secured a second term, health reform is a “go”. Yet, gaps and questions remain, some of them potentially far more substantial than originally anticipated. While the mandate on individuals to purchase health insurance has survived as a “tax,” states will have much more flexibility to opt in or out of expanded Medicaid coverage without losing all of their federal Medicaid funding. And there is always the possibility of further cuts.

In the meantime, “wait and see” is no longer an option. With a “cup half full” vision, health reform can be viewed as a basic platform from which gaps can be filled. How can we make the most of this platform? How can we connect the people to the coverage offered by the exchanges and persuade people to buy it? How can we connect the people who buy coverage to the care they will need? And how can we do so in a way that doesn’t break the bank?

Some answers to these questions are offered below. I also invite you to join us on February 13-14, 2013 in Washington, D.C. at the Health Care Industry Access Initiative’s Access Summit where you can hear more from our experts in a variety of panel discussions about what will and won’t work to achieve access, and how health industry efforts are key to access and, in turn, the success of health reform.

All eyes are focused on the many state challenges to health reform.  Florida’s recent federal court decision held the entire health reform law unconstitutional, based on the unconstitutionality of the mandate requiring all U.S. citizens to maintain a minimum level of health insurance coverage beginning in 2014, or pay a penalty.  Virginia’s earlier decision severed... Read the rest of this entry »