Health Care Experts: Continue Implementing the Health Reform Law
<p>Nearly nine of 10 leaders in health and health care policy say it is important for federal and state policymakers to continue efforts to implement the Affordable Care Act, according to the latest and final <a href="/publications/publication/2011/nov/health-care-opinion-leaders-views-health-spending-and-reform">Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey</a>. </p>
<p>Health reform and health care spending remain critical topics for the nation. According to published projections, between 2010 and 2020, national health spending per capita will increase 5.1 percent annually; at the same time, gross domestic product per capita is projected to grow 3.9 percent annually. Survey respondents strongly support bringing annual increases in health care spending more in line with economic growth—a central goal of the Affordable Care Act and the president’s recent deficit-reduction framework. Nearly three-quarters of opinion leaders believe that per-capita growth in health spending can be lowered without harming health care access or quality. </p>
<p>When health care leaders were asked about specific coverage provisions in the reform law, large majorities said it was important to move forward with major elements, including insurance market rules, Medicaid expansion, and premium tax credits. The controversial individual insurance mandate also received strong support from survey respondents, with 84 percent believing the mandate is an important strategy for reducing the number of uninsured, making coverage more available and affordable, and improving the health of the country overall. </p>
<p>For complete survey findings, read the new Commonwealth Fund <a href="/publications/publication/2011/nov/health-care-opinion-leaders-views-health-spending-and-reform">data brief</a>. And for commentary, read blog posts by <a href="/blog/2011/better-health-better-care-and-lower-costs-all-americans-affordable-care-act">U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius</a> and by <a href="/blog/2011/once-and-future-challenges-implementing-health-reform">John Colmers</a>, former secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and vice president for health care transformation and strategic planning at Johns Hopkins Medicine. <br /><br /></p>