INSURANCE CONNECTION
PDA Attends Obamacare Conference in Philadelphia
The Affordable Care Act ( ACA ) is a concoction of mandates , regulations and subsidies designed to increase Americans ’ access to quality care with limited costs . These ingredients , however , seem to confuse and frustrate those who try to improve their understanding of this bureaucratic recipe . We share your frustration , and that is why we continuously monitor the ACA ’ s implementation .
The ACA impacts all states , federal agencies , insurance companies , health providers , employers and consumers . It ’ s impossible to escape this mammoth system and pointless to predict its evolution . Pennsylvania is just one example . It ’ s a large state that must respond and adapt to shifting demographics , health care costs and unforeseen actions taken as a result of the ACA .
In order to better understand the health care law , PDA staff recently attended a conference (“ Obamacare : What ’ s True ? What ’ s False ? What ’ s Next ?”) hosted by the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania .
Since August 2013 , the Fels Institute and the Rockefeller Institute at SUNY-Albany have co-sponsored a national network of researchers in 35 states studying the ACA . The research project ’ s preliminary findings were discussed during the conference .
The speakers ’ first round of studies focused on western states , including Colorado and California . Both states have embraced the ACA , believing its regulatory framework will improve transparency . All speakers acknowledge , however , that enrollment in the ACA will become more expensive in the near future .
Among the panelists at the conference were Dr . Elaine Kamarck ( Brookings Institution ), Dr . Stuart Butler ( The Heritage Foundation ), E . J . Dionne ( The Washington Post ), and Joe Klein ( TIME Magazine ).
Panelists reported that states that operate their own marketplaces are more successful than deferring to the federal government . Pennsylvania is one of those states whose exchange is run by the federal government . Additionally , Governor Tom Corbett is promoting his own statewide plan , named Healthy Pennsylvania . Insurers in Pennsylvania are expressing strong interest in this plan , which would extend private health insurance to hundreds of thousands enrolled in Medical Assistance . This extension would be funded with Medical Assistance dollars . The federal government must first approve Gov . Corbett ’ s plan before its scheduled implementation on Jan . 1 , 2015 .
In order to better understand the ACA ’ s role in Pennsylvania , we recommend
reading the online report , “ Beyond the Website : The Early Implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Pennsylvania .” The report , which can be found on the Fels Institute ’ s website , provides a synopsis of the many topics discussed during the conference . The report also serves as the most comprehensive examination to date of Pennsylvania ’ s implementation . It addresses such topics as the cost and quality of health care plans offered in each county , along with a comprehensive review of the Small Business Health Options Program ( SHOP ) exchange , which businesses can use to provide medical insurance to their employees . Please visit the following link for more information : https :// www . fels . upenn . edu / sites / www . fels . upenn . edu / files / aca _ final _ feb _ 6 . pdf .
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