Everyone — almost everyone — had something to say about yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld most of the Affordable Care Act. We talked to people from all around the industry and here is what they had to say.
For more reactions, check out these posts:
“Despite differences of opinion on the Healthcare Reform Law, members of both parties in Congress recognize the need to transform healthcare in this country and the important role health IT will play in that transformation. We anticipate that the benefits of health IT will continue to receive bipartisan support as our nation establishes the infrastructure necessary for improving patient care and takes strides to enhance the cost effectiveness of care delivery.” — Dave Roberts, MPA, FHIMSS, HIMSS vice president, Government Relations
“We are confident that our member organizations and the life-saving therapies that they deliver can and will be a critical driver in lowering the overall cost of healthcare in the U.S. We will support Congressman Erik Paulsen and Congress’ efforts to repeal the device tax.” — Shaye Mandle, vice president of Government & Affiliate Relations, LifeScience Alley
“We see several ACA goals, including access to health insurance for everyone, as critical to our members’ mission to provide quality care for older Ohioans including: reforms in the health and long-term care delivery systems, Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) legislation, which is a better means of financing long-term services and supports than our present patchwork and unsustainable system, and better wages and benefits for people who do the hard and rewarding work of providing long-term care and support services.” — John Alfano, LeadingAge Ohio president and CEO
“The American Medical Group Association encourages federal policymakers to remember that delivery system reform is not dependent on any single piece of legislation, but rather the continuing efforts of patient-centered organizations beyond the Beltway that are making healthcare advancements day-in and day-out. We need to support and foster them, and we remain hopeful that the dialogue can now shift to this necessary debate.” — Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, president and CEO of American Medical Group Association
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
“Today’s ruling secures the future of three important projects here in Ohio through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which was created under the ACA to test and evaluate innovative payment and service delivery models while enhancing quality of care. Ohio’s children’s hospitals are leading the nation through these projects, which include The Ohio Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety (OCHSPS) Hospital Engagement Network, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital (Cleveland, Ohio) Physician Extension Team, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio) and Akron Children’s Hospital Partners for Kids Expansion.” — Dr. Steve Allen, chairman, Ohio Children’s Hospital Association
Reporting by Deanna Pogorelc, Arundhati Parmar, Stephanie Baum
Photo from flickr user SEUI International
