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The reformation of our health care system is an important topic. Much information on this subject is always being disemminated. On this page we will list documents, web sites, etc. in an effort to help keep you informed.
New Web Site Answers Questions about the Affordable Care Act
3/1/2011 -- For the last few months, several organizations have been working together to develop a trusted source of straightforward information for patients on how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will affect them. The main communications vehicle for this educational effort is a web site that launched today called HealthCareandYou.org. The organizations involved in this project are: AARP, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Cancer Society, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, Catholic Health Association and the National Community Pharmacists Association.
The Web site features pages for 50 states and DC, where residents can learn more about health care in their state and see some of the coverage options available to them. It also allows visitors to personalize the information they access according to whether they are over or under age 65, or if they are small business owners. As implementation of the ACA proceeds, more detailed information will be added, particularly with respect to the state-specific content.
The Web site does not offer advice on choosing a health insurance plan. It is intended to be a reliable source of factual, easy-to-understand information for patients. We hope you find this to be a helpful resource to answer questions about the new law.
Read more about HealthCareandYou.org
The Santa Cruz County Medical Society's Tenets of Health Care Reform.
Read about the Health Insurance History in California, prepared by CMA staff.
Presented here are 2 timelines which visually help to understand when and what is supposed to happen with the health care reform act. Each timeline is spit into sections, i.e. 'Insurance Reforms', 'Medicare', 'Medicaid', 'Prescriptions', etc.
2011-2018 Health Reform Timeline from the San Diego County Medical Society
Kaiser Family Foundation Timeline http://www.kff.org/
Stay informed with up-to-date information on Health Care Reform from the Kaiser Family Foundation (not related to Kaiser Permanente).
Read these documents for more indepth information on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. (All in PDF)
Independent Payment Advisory Board
2011 Medicare Physician Payment Proposed Rule
Medicare payment adjustments made for 2010
How health reform will affect physician practices
Medicare savings under health reform
How health reform affects patients
Tax credits and changes
Employers Health Care Reform Guide
3/29/10 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) contains a number of key provisions for patients. Read the AMA's summary and timeline.
Late in the evening on Nov. 7, 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the "Affordable Health Care for America Act," by a vote of 220-215. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the legislation would raise the percentage of legal, non-elderly American residents with insurance coverage from the current 83 percent to 96 percent. It also includes insurance market reforms that would eliminate exclusions for pre-existing conditions and lifetime limits on total health care spending, and it would provide subsidies for low-income Americans to help them purchase coverage in a health insurance exchange.
Earlier in the day, the House approved a rule for considering both the health system reform bill and H.R. 3961, the "Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009." The vote was 242-192, with all but 15 Democrats voting in support and all Republicans voting against. While the rule set parameters for debate on both bills, the imminent congressional recess for the Veterans Day holiday prevented a floor vote on H.R. 3961. That legislation would repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment formula and replace it with a new payment update system with two more generous spending targets. The House is expected to take up H.R. 3961 during the week of Nov. 16.
Read the CMA letter and comments to Congress on HR 3961 and HR 3962 dated 11/6/09.
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