Washington’s Unfinished Business: The Affordable Care Act

  Carolyn Bunce, AS, Washington D.C. Health Practice

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been law for more than a year and implementation is moving forward. Yet millions of stakeholders – from patients, doctors and hospitals to small businesses, insurance companies and state legislatures – are still confused about provisions of the law and what it means for them.

Opinions on the ACA are deeply divided, especially in Congress. More than 100 bills have been introduced to defund or change portions of the law – a few have managed to pass through Congress. Meanwhile, there are 26 lawsuits seeking to overturn the law, at least one is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is evidence of our government in action, and the results will be interesting to watch.

But with the presidency and control of Congress at stake in 2012, the rhetoric in Washington is fierce. Politicians use the ACA to rally their supporters, subdue rivals and score political points. Partisan catchphrases like “socialized medicine” and “Medicare vouchers” are stated as fact, while the truth, which is often nuanced and complex, becomes a casualty of political gamesmanship.

Real ideas to keep Medicare costs under control, get health information technology to rural areas and reduce the number of uninsured in inner cities are out there. Some of these ideas are in the ACA, some are not. If you have time to scour policy newsletters or attend health conferences, you’ll find them. But you won’t see them in the partisan talking points repeated on the news.

Whether it’s full implementation, complete overhaul or something in the middle, politicians need to be reminded that there is more at stake than winning elections.

ACA’s hundreds of provisions have important real-time ramifications, and some create potential opportunities from a product, service or corporate reputational perspective. If you would like to learn more about the ACA and its potential impacts on your interests, please contact Carolyn Bunce in our Washington, D.C. health practice at Carolyn.Bunce@edelman.com