--by Mary Vallier-Kaplan, Interim President, Endowment for Health
Solid solutions are on the way for millions of Americans who are currently uninsured – 134,000 of them right here in New Hampshire. And for those of us already fortunate enough to have insurance, we can look forward to even higher-quality, more affordable care in the years to come.
The Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act as constitutional. At least from a legal standpoint, if not from a political one, the ruling clears the way for full implementation of the law. Now it’s time to turn the page and put the debate to rest.
This should offer considerable peace of mind and security for families and small businesses who struggle to access and afford health care in our state. They can take some comfort in knowing that the law designed to protect them has been validated. With it, a higher level of economic security can be expected: The days of going bankrupt to pay for medical care are seriously numbered.
And what of all this talk of the individual mandate as being a tax? That only applies to those who choose not to buy health insurance.
For the 85% of Americans already insured, nothing will change – they won’t be affected at all. For those who do not yet have insurance, a health insurance exchange will offer affordable, reliable health insurance options.
But let’s not lose sight of this important truth: Most Americans want to buy health insurance, but many have had trouble accessing it, and when they do, often cannot afford skyrocketing premiums and deductibles.
Now we have clarity and a clear path forward to change all that. New Hampshire health-care providers already have been planning to implement the Affordable Care Act, and patients have been anticipating it.
Popular provisions of the Act will remain unchanged, such as extended coverage for young adults up to age 26, so they can remain on their parents’ plan, as well as consumer protections, expanded preventive care services, and more affordable drug coverage.
We need to get on with it. We have work to do.
We now must prepare for additional expanded coverage and the establishment of a federally facilitated health insurance exchange in New Hampshire. The exchange will help to lower the cost of health insurance in our state – the most expensive in the country for a family plan (current average annual cost of $15,204).
A health insurance exchange is like a virtual marketplace. It will provide individuals and small businesses with easy-to-understand, apples-to-apples comparisons of health insurance plans.
Certainly, the Court’s ruling on the Medicaid expansion, designed to offer coverage to our most vulnerable citizens, is the biggest question mark at this point. We most assuredly will hear heated policy debates in every state, including New Hampshire. The Court ruled that the federal government cannot withdraw current Medicaid funding if the state elects not to implement the law’s new Medicaid program expansion, now deemed optional for states.
We know that the “devil is in the details” to implement far-reaching health reforms. The Supreme Court ruling is certainly a major milestone in that process and ensures that the basic roadmap doesn’t change. There is more to do to ensure that our most vulnerable populations benefit from the law as the ACA intended. There will continue to be some curves in the road. But we’ve started the engine, our hands are firmly on the wheel and we know our destination. The Endowment for Health will continue to support everyone in New Hampshire, including providers, businesses and government, to successfully implement this important change on behalf of all Granite Staters.
Comments