Allow States to Implement Key Health Reforms Early, Experts Say
<p>In the latest Commonwealth Fund/<em>Modern Healthcare </em><a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2011/may/health-care-opinion-leaders-views-health-reform-and-role-states">Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey</a>, more than 80 percent of opinion leaders said states should be allowed to implement key provisions of the Affordable Care Act early—like expanding Medicaid eligibility to cover more low-income families and creating insurance exchanges with premium subsidies. </p>
<p>When asked about the relative power of states and the federal government over health reform, 41 percent of leaders in health care and health policy said they think the federal government should have more authority, while 29 percent favor the balance set by the Affordable Care Act. </p>
<p>The survey’s findings are discussed in a <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2011/may/health-care-opinion-leaders-views-health-reform-and-role-states">Commonwealth Fund data brief</a> published today. Commentaries by Jim Douglas, former Vermont governor, and Michael McRaith, director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, are also available on <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=0B67ACA7A5CB453CB876F3DB59E19448&_z=z">The Commonwealth Fund Blog</a>. <br /></p>