Making Health Care Reform Happen on the Ground Here in New York:
An Overview of the New Health Care Law, and What’s Next

Basic take-away: The new health care reform law is a major step forward (especially given that maintaining the current status quo was NOT an option over the long-term.) Approximately 2 million of New York’s 2.8 million uninsured, and 32 million of America’s 51 million uninsured are estimated to get health coverage under the new law. However, we still have more work to do to get to true universal health care across America and here in New York, so that all residents of our state and nation, regardless of their financial situation or immigration status, will not only have good insurance that’s affordable-to-buy and affordable-to-use, they will also have places to go receive the high quality services from culturally competent health care professionals.

This new law is a tremendous and historic accomplishment, but it is only a first step toward true universal health care, so the fight and process continues. It is a new platform--especially for states--to build on. It is a floor, not a ceiling. We can and will make it better over time.

THE NEW LAW ITSELF: “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA)

I. Overview of PPACA-Three broad areas:

• Insurance coverage reform
• Delivery system reform
• Financing-related provisions

II. Insurance coverage provisions- private market, employer-based plans, public programs:

• Private insurance market reforms:
• Various overall insurance rules and regulations
• New “Health Insurance Exchanges”
• Individual/family mandates
• Employer-sponsored coverage:
• “Large groups” (>50 employees)
• “Small groups” (<50 employees)
• Special programs for certain age groups with high rates of uninsurance (young adults, early retirees)
• Public insurance programs:
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• State Child Health Insurance Program
• New “basic health plans”
• State-based temporary high-risk pool funding
• New, voluntary, employment-based, long-term care insurance program “Community Living Assistance Services and Supports” aka “CLASS”)

III. System Reform

• Expanded Access to Services
• Quality of Care Improvement Initiatives
• Workforce Development Initiatives
• Public Health Initiatives
• Disparities Initiatives (race, ethnicity, gender, disability)
• Wellness Initiatives
• Reimbursement Reforms

IV. Financing reform:

• Cost savings (generated over the long-term, compared to current projections without PPACA.)
• New taxes
• payroll & unearned income (top 2% of income-earners)
• excise tax on excess value of top-of-the-line plans
• windfall profits tax on insurers and other stakeholders

 WHAT’S NEXT?-- PPACA as a new platform to build on – a floor, not a ceiling for states.

• Public education about law
• Defense of law and ongoing politics of health care reform
• Implementation of law (click here for info on what’s happening in NY)
• Laying the groundwork for moving to true universal health care down the road

ON-LINE RESOURCES:

• AARP: www.aarp.org/health/health-care-reform
• Alliance for Retired Americans:  www.retiredamericans.org/issues/health-care-reform
• Consumers’ Union:  www.consumersunion.org/health
• Families USA:  www.familiesusa.org/health-reform-central
• Health Care for All New York:  www.hcfany.org
• Kaiser Family Foundation:  http://healthreform.kff.org
• Medicare Rights Center:  www.medicarerights.org 
• Raising Women’s Voices:  www.raisingwomensvoices.net
• Small Business Majority:  www.smallbusinessmajority.org
• Young Invincibles:  www.younginvincibles.org
• U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services:  www.healthcare.gov
• Congress: http://energyandcommerce.house.gov   http://finance.senate.gov/issue
• Natl. Assoc. of Insurance Commissioners: www.naic.org/index_health_reform_section.htm
• New York State: www.healthreform.ny.gov