Bloggers

Lisa Banket
Cofounding Partner/Publisher
VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE
Taren Grom
Cofounding Partner/Editor-in-Chief
VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE
Heather Hummel
Project Coordinator
VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE
Dan Limbach
Producer, Webcast Network
VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE
Denise Myshko
Managing Editor
VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE
Kim Ribbink
Features Editor
VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE
Robin Robinson
Senior Editor
VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE
Marah Walsh
Cofounding Partner/New Business Development
VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE

PharmaVOICE Editors' Blog

Friday, June 1, 2012

The Affordable Care Act - an Election Lightning Rod


By Denise Myshko, Managing Editor, PharmaVOICE

The major reforms contained in the Affordable Care Act are not scheduled to take effect until 2014, but the legislation faces legal and political challenges. In March, the U.S. Supreme Court heard appeals related to the legislation, and the court’s ruling is expected late June.

At issue is the individual mandate, which would require everyone to have health insurance either through an employer or through a state-based insurance exchange. During three days of arguments, critics argued the individual mandate was unconstitutional.

Studies from several experts — Center for American Progress (CAP), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Lewin Group, and the RAND Corp. — have examined the impact of severing the individual mandate but retaining the market reforms of the Accountable Care Act. They all find that doing so would result in a dramatic rise in the insured population and increase health insurance premiums compared with health reform with a mandate.

The trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has posted a chart comparing these experts’ predications here:

Whatever the court’s verdict, healthcare reform will be a key issue in the November presidential and congressional elections. Experts say even if parts of the healthcare reform law are overturned, the momentum for change in healthcare will continue. (Download the PDF article: Healthcare and the Political Landscape)

States are continuing to work to create health insurance exchanges, which become effective January 2014. Starting in 2014, if an employer doesn’t offer insurance, individuals will be able to buy it directly in an Affordable Insurance Exchange, a new transparent and competitive insurance marketplace where individuals and small businesses can buy affordable and qualified health benefit plans.

Stay tuned as the court’s decision unfolds.

Visit www.americanhealth2012.com for an expanded look at the intersection of healthcare and politics.

1 comments:

BioPharma99 said...

Will be something to keep an eye on. I wonder in what capacity it might effect the pharma industry?

Post a Comment