Discover the Science of Health
A recent survey by CVS Caremark found that 78% of consumers who qualify for healthcare reform subsidies have never heard of state-based healthcare insurance exchanges where they will have to shop for coverage next year [1]. Although the exchanges are being promoted as transparent and user friendly, 60% of respondents said they believe they will need help to understand health insurance terms and navigate the system.
President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in to law in March 2010 after a year of intense national debate. On Thursday last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld law, ruling that the individual mandate, which requires U.S. citizens and legal residents to have qualifying health coverage or pay a penalty, is constitutional as a tax. The ruling will have a far-reaching impact on healthcare providers, especially for those who work with underserved populations.
Welcome to Grand Rounds: the Impact of Healthcare Reform.
For this edition of Grand Rounds, Vol. 7 No. 11, we’re focusing on the impact of healthcare reform: what are the changes to healthcare delivery, utilization, quality, costs (either as a provider or a patient) and outcomes. After all, these changes affect everyone, whether you’re a patient, a healthcare provider or a biomedical researcher.
