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Today’s buzz word is Health Care Reform (HCR), and we understand that it takes time to interpret what the law means and determine what implications it has for you.

Building on a year's work in the House and the Senate, President Obama signed two pieces of legislation that will have a lasting impact on individuals and businesses.

• On March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (H.R. 3590) became law, providing new coverage for millions of Americans and enacting sweeping reforms of the health insurance industry and delivery system.
• On March 30, 2010, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872, also known as the “Reconciliation Act”) was signed into law.

The legislation is long and complex, but its major initiatives can be summarized as follows:

• Provided for increased access to health care services through (1) a combination of mandates, tax credits and subsidies, (2) private health insurance reforms, including new state and federal regulation of private insurance carriers, and (3) enlarging the Medicaid program.
• Imposed substantial reductions in Medicare payments to providers and suppliers, and an expansion of the tools for public health programs to combat fraud and abuse.
• Initiated a wide range of demonstration programs and pilot projects to test new methods of health care delivery, many with far-reaching implications for current providers, suppliers and manufacturers.

Clearly, this landmark legislation has serious implications for all stakeholders in our health care system, and we want to help you develop proactive approaches for dealing with the legislation and its aftermath.  Polsinelli Shughart's Public Policy and Health Care groups are no strangers to health care reform.  The firm has been very active in gaining modifications to the legislation for our clients.  Polsinelli Shughart is especially well qualified to assist you in strategic planning and policy analysis of the legislation's provisions, as well as in developing and implementing concrete action steps on regulatory and operational issues to protect your interests, avail yourselves of opportunities that the legislation may present, and to deal with threats where they may exist.

This site is a resource on hot topics and valuable information to help you make informed decisions.

 
Key Resources

If you have specific questions regarding the implications of Health Care Reform, please contact one of our advisors:

• Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (H.R. 3590)
  (Signed into law by President on March 23, 2010; Passed by the House on March 21, 2010 and Senate on December 24, 2009)
• Reconciliation Bill Amending the Senate Health Reform Bill (H.R. 4872)
  (Signed by the President March 30, 2010; Passed by the House and Senate March 2, 2010)
• Amendment to the Reconciliation Bill
• Senate Reform Bill
• House Rules Committee Summary
• Congressional Budget Office
  • Douglas Elmendorf, Director, Letter to Nancy Pelosi
  • Preliminary Estimate of Reconciliation Legislation
• White House
  • Health Reform
• Department of Health and Human Services
  • Health Reform
  • HHS Gateway to Data and Statistics
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Department of Labor
  • Health Reform
• Internal Revenue Service - Small Business Tax Credit
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
• Public Policy - Commonwealth Fund
• Brookings Institute
• Alliance for Health Reform
• Employee Benefits Research Institute
• Center for American Progress
• Kaiser Family Foundation 
  (A leader in health policy and communications that focuses on major health care issues facing the U.S., as well as the U.S. role in global health policy) 
• Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight
• Fact Sheet on High-Risk Pools
• Report from the Office of the Actuary Regarding Cost of Health Care Reform
• Additional Report from the Office of the Actuary Regarding Cost of Health Care Reform
• Insurance Reform Components of the PPACA

 E-Alerts

• Health Care Act of 2010 Includes $1 Billion in Tax Credits and Grants Available to Small Life Sciences Companies
• Update:  Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Tax Credit Program

Overview/Health Reform Information

• Overview Affordable Care Act
• Health Reform Key Dates

Events to Keep You Informed

• Event Coming Soon:  Webinar Event - Pilots and Demonstrations in Health Reform Legislation, presented by Polsinelli Shughart Shareholders Janice Anderson, Randal Schultz and Cynthia Berry.  Registration information to follow.
• June 30: Webinar Event - Health Care Reform: Practical Advice and Creative Solutions - presented by Polsinelli Shughart Shareholder Brian Johnston and representatives of Holmes Murphy.
• June 14 -15: Event, Chicago – Medical Device Pricing & Reimbursement: Understanding How Proposed Reforms Will Factor Into the Existing Regulatory Schematic.
  Polsinelli Shughart Shareholder Steven K. Stranne helped medical device companies prepare for contemplated changes affecting pricing, reimbursement and payment in the medical device industry at a two-day conference in Chicago hosted by the American Conference Institute.
• June 9:  Webinar Event:  A Practical Guide for the Medical Device Community on Health Care Reform - presented by Polsinelli Shughart Shareholders Steven Stranne and Alan Parver. 
• May 18: Event, New England – Health Care Reform Panel – How Will the New Health Care Reform Legislation Impact Oncology Care in 2010 and Beyond? Northern New England Clinical Oncology Society’s 2010 Spring Practice Management Conference
  Polsinelli Shughart Shareholder Steven K. Stranne provided an overview from the perspective of physician practices of the latest from Washington and moderate an engaging panel discussion with payers and legislative representatives during the Northern New England Clinical Oncology Society's Spring Practice Management Conference.
• May 18: Event, Kansas City – Health Care Reform: Practical Advice and Creative Solutions - hosted by Polsinelli Shughart and Holmes Murphy
• April 29: View a Playback of The Health Care Reform Act and Tax-Exempt Organizations Webinar
  Polsinelli Shughart Shareholders Bruce R. Hopkins and Douglas K. Anning analyzed the new health care reform legislation and share important implications for nonprofit organizations in a special complimentary one-hour Webinar event.