Implementing Federal Health Reform in California: CHCF Responds
New Health Reform and Public Programs Initiative
May 25, 2010
The passage of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) creates an extraordinary opportunity to provide health coverage to millions of Californians, and has the potential to begin reshaping our health care system to meet the health needs of Californians at a price that they, and we as a society, can afford.
The success of this effort will depend on how the law is implemented by the states. The California HealthCare Foundation recognizes the promise and challenge of this moment and the need for all sectors of California — from government and the private sector, to health care advocates, philanthropies, and the public — to work toward turning the law into a positive reality for our state.
To support this goal, CHCF today announces the creation of a new Health Reform and Public Programs Initiative, which will bring together grant dollars, internal expertise, and partnerships with other philanthropies, the government, and the private sector to support implementation.
This new initiative will focus on elements of health reform that have the greatest potential to affect Californians, require state policy or administrative action, and align with CHCF's areas of expertise and focus. CHCF's initial priorities are to support:
- The creation by 2014 of a state insurance exchange that promotes innovation in plan design and care delivery, explains clearly the choices available to Californians, and links them with the best options for their circumstances and needs.
- Well-coordinated state and federal oversight of the new insurance marketplace.
- A modernized Medi-Cal eligibility determination and enrollment process to prepare for the increased numbers of applicants and the changing profile of Medi-Cal enrollees that health care reform will create.
- Reforms to promote care that is better organized, higher quality, and more affordable for high-need, high-cost Medi-Cal beneficiaries beyond the renewal of the state's Medicaid waiver.
Initiative Director Marian Mulkey, M.P.H., M.P.P., will lead the effort and focus on analyzing the reform legislation and informing policymakers, state and local government, private stakeholders, and the public on ways to implement the law that will improve and expand coverage.
Deputy Director Christopher Perrone, M.P.P., will lead CHCF's work to improve the policies and practices that shape Medi-Cal and other publicly funded health care programs, and to promote greater transparency of and accountability for the performance of these programs.
Also joining the initiative will be Sacramento-based Senior Program Officer for Health Policy Teri Boughton, M.H.A., and Senior Program Officer Len Finocchio, Dr.P.H.
Successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act will be complex and require close attention to federal deadlines. CHCF has published a timeline of California health reform implementation milestones, created in partnership with Manatt Health Solutions. A second publication, The Affordable Care Act: What Californians Should Know, presents key changes coming in the health coverage landscape from a consumer perspective.
A deeper CHCF analysis of California health reform implementation is under way and will be released in the coming weeks.
CHCF looks forward to the challenge ahead and anticipates meaningful dialogue with policymakers, providers, and health care consumers as this work evolves.
Read the materials online through the links below.
About the California HealthCare Foundation
The California HealthCare Foundation is an independent philanthropy committed to improving the way health care is delivered and financed in California. By promoting innovations in care and broader access to information, our goal is to ensure that all Californians can get the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford.