As we enter a new year, it is time to work together on healthcare reform. The goal must be to build a system that provides affordable, high-quality, accessible care that promotes wellness and recovery for all Americans. It must include policies to help individuals manage their health and wellbeing, and address the social determinants of health.
The Affordable Care Act has made great strides toward this objective, but there is still much to do. Many Americans struggle to pay for physician visits, fill their prescriptions, pay deductibles, and afford insurance coverage. Others must navigate a complex, sometimes bewildering system to receive the medical care they need and deserve.
For consumers, the ACA has brought transparency to costs and quality by requiring health insurance companies to provide detailed information about their rates and services. It has also ended the practice of lifetime dollar limits, allowing people to access health care without fear that they will run out of their coverage. Moreover, it has made the first steps in ending discrimination against individuals with preexisting conditions and allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ plans until age 26.
States should take advantage of the flexibility provided by the ACA and make additional changes to improve healthcare access and reduce cost. For example, they should consider targeted reforms to statutory budget neutrality requirements and allow physicians an annual update of their Medicare payments based on inflation. They should also eliminate onerous prior authorization processes, a burden on physicians and their patients.