By Kathy Robertson
Senior Staff Writer- Sacramento Business Journal
The U.S. Supreme Court
decision to uphold most of the Affordable Care Act hasn’t changed much
in California — except to put the reform effort into overdrive.
While the National Federation of Independent Business
remains undeterred from efforts to unwind the law, health industry
experts who spoke on a Business Journal panel Thursday see the court
decision as a catalyst that will escalate change.
“We’re on a burning platform with a medical rescue system that does a good job repairing folks,” said Darryl Cardoza, CEO at Hill Physicians Medical Group. “When we created universal coverage, we poured gasoline on it — and that’s a good thing.”
There’s widespread support for expanded coverage, but look for fireworks as major decisions are made before California Health Benefit Exchange
kicks off enrollment Oct. 1.
The new insurance pool for individuals and
small businesses is expected to launch Jan. 1, 2014 — and it’s unclear
at this point what it will look like, who will be in it, and whether
plans and providers will be winners or losers.
“The only thing predictable in health care is it lies ahead,” said Anne McLeod, senior vice president for health policy for the California Hospital Association. “It’s seismic change at a escalating rate.”
This raises questions about the aggressive timeline.
NFIB, the plaintiff in the lawsuit at the heart of the Supreme Court
decision, still opposes the requirement that everybody buy insurance,
but the group supports the notion of an insurance exchange.
“The federal government is missing deadline after deadline. We are
concerned (the California program) will be implemented in the right way.
The concept of greater choice is a good thing, but it needs to be done
right.”
via http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2012/08/02/health-care-reform-panel-what-now.html?page=all
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