Health Care Delivery System Reform and The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act

http://whitehouse.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Health%20Care%20Delivery%20System%20Reform%20and%20The%20Affordable%20Care%20Act%20FINAL2.pdf

A Report from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse for the
U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

Pretty comprehensive review of the ways the ACA creates opportunities for efficiencies, etc in the health system.  Could be summarized more effectively but very comprehensive. 

cited by Ezra Klein in the Washington Post. 3/29/12

see http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/sen-whitehouse-on-changing-the-way-doctors-get-paid/2012/03/29/gIQAZEWAjS_blog.html

Supreme Court decision

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/March/27/what-happens-without-individual-mandate.aspx

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Multimedia/2012/March/Taylor-Supreme-Court-Health-Law-Day-3.aspx

here are a couple of useful articles related to the case.  

Photos from Supreme Court Rally day 3

http://tinyurl.com/d8w9pf4

here is a link to a set of photos that I took at today's rally.  There were about 200 folks in support and 40 opposed.  Saw Jon Randall, Rosie Engman, Mark Ferrenz, and Virginia Richardson from OFA, and Marc Steinberg from Families USA at the event and some friends. Other organizations I saw there were SEIU and NOW, among others.

There were speeches by a congressman, a navaho rep speaking on medicaid, a senior citizen talking about his wife needing nursing home care paid for by medicaid, and others.  Then we marched in a circle with our signs, with various chants.  "We want health care, we want obamacare" or something like that and other cheers.

Virginia and I got interviewed by a reporter, Jessica Gresko from AP who has been covering the court rallies.

Key Features of the Affordable Care Act, By Year; Supreme Court Summary

http://www.healthcare.gov/law/timeline/full.html
a very well done summary of the key provisions of the ACA with videos on some of the most important issues. 

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/March/15/supreme-court-curtain-raiser.aspx?utm_source=marmad&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=032312

good summary of key issues in Supreme court

Happy Birthday ACA

today marks the second birthday of the affordable care act.  very glad to see all the great things it has already accomplished.  Looking forward to next week's supreme court rallies. 

From Obama: Health Care Law: Will you test it out?

http://tinyurl.com/7jec4oq

This is a very good application.  Please spread widely.

From HHS: New health care law helps young adults get and keep affordable health coverage

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/03/20120321a.html

HHS is churning out quite a few of these reports lately. I am guessing leading up to supreme court case next week.  Hope lots of you can attend the rally.  I will be there on one of the days. 

Other organizations are also stepping up with meetings, etc this week.  Organizing for America is making phone calls this week on health reform. I spent a couple of hours last night calling to various places in Virginia including southwest.  Had some success.

From HHS: Health Reform Provides More Than 45 Million Women Access to Preventive Health Care Services

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/03/20120320a.html

Join us at the Supreme Court on 3/26,27, 28 to support ACA

Here is an email from Jon Randall, Organizing for America.

Monday, March 26 marks the first day of the Affordable Care Act oral arguments at the Supreme Court.  Arguments will last three days over March 26, 27, 28.  Healthcare advocacy organizations are planning to take the message about existing benefits of the law to the Supreme Court on those three days.

If you can ATTEND one of these visibility events, please RSVP here.

Each day, the event will be held 8am - 12pm.  Gather on the Capitol grounds in front of the Supreme Court.  Each day of oral arguments there will be visibility events organized by members of our health care coalition focused on a different constituency and core health care argument that showcases how the law is working.  In addition to the press conference it will be imperative that the progressive community shows its strength through visibility outside the court each day.

Sign-up here if you'd like to VOLUNTEER at the event on March 26, 27 or 28.  

Volunteer or not, I look forward to seeing you at these events!  Please circulate this invitation widely in progressive circles.

Kaiser Foundation session on Supreme Court Case

I attended a session sponsored by Kaiser Family Foundation on the Supreme Court Case.  Joe Onek, a well respected lawyer and political adviser seemed optimistic that the Court will uphold the key issues of the ACA.  He said that the court would have to overturn 200 years of court decisions and that the commerce clause has been upheld in the past. 

This link provides a webcast that covers his remarks among other speakers.

http://www.kff.org/healthreform/scotus_aca_video.cfm


A very interesting tracking poll can be found at this site relative to issues dealt with in the case and related matters.  See chartpack in particular.

http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8285.cfm

As stated before, I still feel we need to do more to educate folks on the provisions of the law and the myths.

p.s. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/March/15/supreme-court-curtain-raiser.aspx

here is a nice summary of the legal issues. 

LA Times: Plaintiff challenging healthcare law went bankrupt – with unpaid medical bills

see 

http://tinyurl.com/6wt25dr

some additional comments posted at OFA website
http://tinyurl.com/75mskze

Health reform law ends lifetime limits for 105 million Americans

see HHS press release

http://tinyurl.com/6rq8d3f

Post: Its the Health Care Prices

http://tinyurl.com/7lsvmsp 

very useful editorial by Ezra Klein.  Unfortunately not much in answers.  Perhaps the IPAB can do something. More is definitely needed.

In a subsequent editorial, Klein points out that the high prices are due in part to high insurance administrative costs, and high salaries for physicians, among other factors.  see
http://tinyurl.com/6pq7wb7