Special Report from Karen Davis: Realizing the Potential of Reform
<p>Through a pragmatic mix of public and private financing, the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will expand health care coverage, establish health insurance market rules that protect individuals and families, and begin to transform the health care system by encouraging greater value and efficiency, says Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis in a special report on the potential impact of the new law. </p>
<p>In the report, <a href="/publications/fund-reports/2010/jun/new-era-american-health-care-realizing-potential-reform">A New Era in American Health Care: Realizing the Potential of Reform</a>, Davis outlines the key features of the new reform law, discusses who will be most helped and how, and describes the ways in which the health care system will begin to provide more patient-centered, accessible, and coordinated care to all Americans. She also discusses the challenges that must be met as the law's provisions are implemented over the coming months and years, including the need for employers to maintain and expand their commitment to financing coverage for workers, the need for payers and providers to implement new delivery system models that yield better care at lower cost, and the need for adequate resources throughout the implementation period. </p>
<p>"While all stakeholders understand that we can no longer conduct business as usual, meaningful health reform will require an ongoing commitment to innovation and improvement," writes Davis. "Learning quickly as experience is gained from payment and system reforms will be essential—as will flexibility, cooperation, and coordination among public and private payers, providers, and patients." </p>
<p>Also be sure to read Davis’s related commentary on the <a href="/blog/2010/who-helped-health-reform">Commonwealth Fund Blog</a>. <br /></p>