Health Care Reform
- Visit Our Blog on The Health Care Reform & More...
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida's Statement on Health Care Reform
- CIGNA's statement on Health Care Reform
- Aetna's Statement on Health Care Reform
- UnitedHealth Group's Statement on Health Care Reform
Understanding the Affordable Care Act
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act. The law puts into place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will hold insurance companies more accountable and will lower health care costs, guarantee more health care choices, and enhance the quality of health care for all Americans.
The Act will not be implemented all at once. Portions of the law have already taken effect. Other changes will be implemented through 2014 and beyond.
To learn more please check out http://www.healthcare.gov/
BCBSF views on the recently passed health care reform legislation
Late Sunday, March 21, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed The Health Care and Education Affordability Act of 2010.
This $940 billion plan, which passed the Senate on Dec. 24, 2009, is considered to be the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since Medicare and Medicaid went into effect more than 40 years ago. It’s projected to extend insurance coverage to approximately 32 million Americans who are currently uninsured. A separate ‘compromise’ bill expanding this measure also passed, and is now heading to the Senate.
With the bill’s passage, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) continues to support our vision for a comprehensive health care reform platform that reduces costs, provides universal access to coverage and improves the overall quality of care.
The health care reform measure is very complex. In its current state, it does not contain many regulatory details, details needed to understand its full impact on our customers, our company, providers, the insurance industry and the general public. It will take some time before any of us can understand how the bill will work and its possible implications.
While the new law contains many provisions that should improve access to coverage, BCBSF believes much more can be done to address the most important underlying issue: the need to drive down the overall cost of health care, a point we highlight in our Vision of Reform.
As the federal government begins to develop the details of the many provisions contained in the new law, we will continue to work with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), our industry’s trade association, to pursue comprehensive and sensible solutions to provide cost effective and quality care for our customers and all Floridians.
As more details emerge in the coming hours and days, we will continue to post relevant and timely information on this website.
Information provided by www.bcbsfl.com
CIGNA'S views on the recently passed health care reform legislation
CIGNA recognizes the historical significance of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
We fully support providing Americans with access to quality, affordable health care coverage. We also support eliminating pre-existing condition exclusions, providing full coverage for preventive services and opening up access to many who are not currently insured.
As this law is implemented over time, we hope that lawmakers and regulators will remain engaged with CIGNA, actively participating in the discussion on how best to ensure that every American is provided with quality, affordable health coverage. We have shared our ideas with Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, and intend to continue this dialogue.
We are dedicated to helping the people we serve improve their health, well-being, and sense of security. We help thousands of people every day, with a focus on wellness and prevention – and this will not change. We will continue to work closely with our customers, employer-clients, brokers, consultants and health care professionals to develop innovative solutions to improve the health and well-being of the people we serve.
Information provided by www.cigna.com
Statement of Aetna Chairman and CEO Ronald A. Williams on the Signing of Health Care Reform Legislation
HARTFORD, Conn., March 23, 2010 — Aetna Chairman and CEO Ronald A. Williams today issued the following statement following the signing of health care reform legislation by President Barack Obama:
“With the signing of health reform legislation today, millions of Americans can look forward to gaining access to health insurance, a significant milestone for this country. The challenge unmet by this bill, however, is how to effectively deal with the critical issue of affordability, which has become a burden for so many people, particularly individuals and small business owners.
“For more than a year, the nation has engaged in a dialogue on health care reform. Aetna has been part of that discussion, sharing our experience and expertise. As early as 2005, we were the first national insurer to call for an individual insurance requirement to bring more people into the health care system. What we have heard during the debate is that the American people are most concerned about health care costs. Aetna plays a significant role in helping our members – both employers and individuals – meet the cost challenge. Our role won’t change with this legislation. But, as a nation, we need to come together to bring greater focus on addressing the many underlying factors that are driving soaring health care costs. When the nation inevitably turns to finding ways of reducing this alarming trend, we stand ready to help.”
Information provided by www.aetna.com
UnitedHealth Group Together, we can build a sustainable health care future
The 78,000 men and women of UnitedHealth Group are committed to comprehensive, bipartisan health reform because we believe everyone deserves access to quality health care.
We have proposed market reforms that will guarantee quality, affordable and portable coverage for all Americans, regardless of gender, health status or pre-existing conditions. These changes must be accompanied by a personal coverage requirement that brings everyone into the system, protects American families who are already insured, and keeps coverage affordable and accessible for all.
And we remain committed to fostering a constructive discussion. To that end, we formed the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization. Drawing on our internal expertise and extensive external partnerships, the Center assesses and develops innovative policies and practical solutions for the biggest health care challenges facing our nation and seeks to share information with policymakers and the public.
Our work falls into six priority areas:
- Empowering patients and physicians. Innovative approaches to universal coverage and health benefits, grounded in evidence-based care and consumer engagement.
- Improving delivery. Modernizing the care delivery system, including strengthening primary care.
- Reducing disparities. Reducing health disparities, particularly in underserved communities.
- Containing cost. Practical cost containment strategies to slow the growth of national health care costs.
- Reforming payment structures. Strategies that better support physicians, hospitals and other providers who deliver high-quality, patient-centered care.
- Modernizing Medicare. Improving chronic disease management and end-of-life care.
Information provided by www.uhc.com
