Kliff Usc Presentation2012

7/31/2019 Kliff Usc Presentation2012

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J U L Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 2

T H E N A T I O N A L H E A L T H J O U R N A L I S MF E L L O W S H I P

The Affordable Care Actand

What To Write About It


2/16

The ACA = Health Story Goldmine

States play a crucial role in implementing thehealth reform law.

They hold big sway over three key provisions: Health Insurance Exchanges

Medicaid Expansion

Prevention and Public Health


3/16

Health Exchanges

The Affordable Care Act requires every state have anew insurance market in 2014

The goal: an Expedia for health insurance

The big decision: every state will have anexchange, even if they dont want it. Do states set upa health exchange themselves, using federal funds, orleave the task to the federal government?


4/16

Health Exchanges: State of Play

Democratic Governors Republican Governors

Aggressive ImplementersCalifornia

ConnecticutMassachusetts

Oregon

Aggressive OpposersAlaskaFlorida

South Carolina

WisconsinTexas

Passive ImplementersIllinois

West VirginiaDelaware

MinnesotaNew YorkKentucky

Passive OpposersGeorgia

IndianaPennsylvania

Tennessee


5/16


6/16

Health Exchanges: Three Key Sources

1. Legislative Sponsors

1. Governors Office

1. Consumer Advocacy Organizations


7/16

Medicaid Expansion

The health reform law originally expanded Medicaideligibility to everyone under 133 percent of theFederal Poverty Line

$14,520 for a single person

$58,040 for a family of 4

Then, the Supreme Court decision happened The Supreme Court ruled that states cannot lose the rest of

their Medicaid funding for not participating in the expansion Translation: The Medicaid expansion is optional.


8/16

Medicaid: State of Play


9/16

Medicaid: Three Story Ideas

Is your state participating? Who are the interestspushing in favor and against?

Cheat sheet: Hospitals and provider groups tend to like theMedicaid expansion.

The economic angle: How much money is on thetable?

The personal angle: Who are the people thisimpacts? How does this effect them?


10/16

Medicaid: Three Key Sources

1. State Medicaid director

2. Public hospitals

3. Health committee legislators


11/16

Prevention and Public Health

The health law is mostly known as an insuranceexpansion. But there are billions of dollars beingspent on prevention programs largely on localprojects.

Communities Putting Prevention to Work Grants

Public health infrastructure grants

Workforce grants


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13/16

Prevention & Public Health Three Story Ideas

How are Affordable Care Act dollars being spent inyour states and local communities?

Explanatory journalism can be powerful here

Are those programs working? Whats the evidencesuggest about whether they will or wont besuccessful?

How do local interests feel about the new funds that

have come into the state?


14/16

Prevention & Public Health - Examples


15/16

Prevention & Public Health Three Key Sources

Local health departments

State department of health services

Advocacy groups


16/16

Three Helpful Resources

The Center for Consumer Information and InsuranceOversight: http://cciio.cms.gov

State Refor(u)m, a project of the National Academyof State Health Policy:www.statereforum.org

The NCSL database

KFF ACA Fund Tracker:http://healthreform.kff.org/federal-funds-tracker.aspx
http://cciio.cms.gov/http://www.statereforum.org/http://www.statereforum.org/http://cciio.cms.gov/

Kliff Usc Presentation2012

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