HEALTH CARE REFORM
On March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became law. The legislation was designed to provide comprehensive reform of health insurance and health care and improve the health of Americans. Under the law, the number of Americans who have health insurance will increase, funding will be provided to make health insurance more affordable, “exchanges” through which individuals and small businesses will be able to purchase insurance will be created. In addition, the law requires programs to improve the quality of care, the development of a national strategy to improve the nation’s health and funds for prevention, wellness and public health activities. Additional provisions address long-term care, work force training, improvements in Medicare and Medicaid, trauma care, expanding community health facilities, among other things.
You can find out more about the legislation, how it is being implemented and how it will affect you at HealthCare.gov.
Additional information regarding the law and its impacts, including an analysis of how the law affects women is available from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
On June 16, 2011 the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council, announced the release of the National Prevention Strategy, a comprehensive plan that will help increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life. The strategy includes actions that public and private partners can take and outlines four strategic directions:
- Building Healthy and Safe Community Environments
- Expanding Quality Preventive Services in Both Clinical and Community Settings
- Empowering People to Make Healthy Choices
- Eliminating Health Disparities
It also sets out the following priorities: Tobacco Free Living, Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use, Healthy Eating, Active Living, Injury and Violence Free Living, Reproductive and Sexual Health, and Mental and Emotional Well-being.
Another important aspect of health care reform is the funding that has been made available to the states to implement reforms. In Virginia, this assistance has provided for a Consumer Assistance Program to strengthen and enhance ongoing efforts in the States and local communities to protect consumers from some of the worst insurance industry practices; funds to improve the Health Insurance Premium Review Process to help crack down on unreasonable health insurance premium increases; resources for research and planning needed to implement the health insurance exchange; funds to assist employers participate in Early Retiree Reinsurance Program; grants for biomedical research to produce new therapies, address unmet medical needs, reduce the long-term growth of health care costs and advance the goal of curing cancer within the next 30 years; grants from the Prevention and Public Health Fund (which includes funds for community and clinical prevention activities, support of public health infrastructure and primary care training); and grants for Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs; Aging and Disability Resource Centers; Medicare improvements for patients and providers; capital development in health centers and the Pregnancy Assistance Fund Program.
Check back soon for additional national legislative developments.
If you have a concern about federal issues or legislation, you can contact President Obama and the Senators and Representatives from Virginia at the following addresses:
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President Barack Obama 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20300 Comments: (202) 456-1111 Switchboard (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461 president@whitehouse.gov |
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Senator Mark Warner 459A Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-2023 Fax: 202-224-6295 warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact |
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Senator James Webb 248 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-4024 Toll Free: (866) 507-1570 Fax: (202) 228-6363 webb.senate.gov/contact.cfm |
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Representative Robert Wittman, 1st District 1317 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-4261 Fax: (202)-225-4382 |
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Representative Scott Rigell, 2nd District 327 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-4215 Fax: (202) 225-4218 |
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Representative Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, 3rd District 1201 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-8351 Fax: (202) 225-8354 |
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Representative J. Randy Forbes, 4th District 2438 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225 – 6365 Fax: (202) 226 - 1170 |
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Representative Robert Hurt, 5th District 1516 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-4711 Fax: (202) 225-5681 |
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Representative Bob Goodlatte, 6th District 2240 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-5431 Fax: (202) 225-9681 |
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Representative Eric Cantor, 7th District 303 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-2815 Fax: (202) 225-0011 |
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Representative James Moran, 8th District 2239 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-4608 (202) 225-4376 Fax: (202) 225-0017 |
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Representative Morgan Griffith, 9th District 1108 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-3861 Fax: (202) 225-0076 |
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Representative Frank Wolf, 10th District 241 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-5136 Fax: (202) 225-0437 |
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Representative Gerald “Gerry” Connolly, 11th District 424 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-1492 Fax: (202) 225-3071 |
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| E-mail your representative |
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The Virginia General Assembly convened in its regular session on January 11, 2012. We will be posting information about bills affecting women and girls’ wellness shortly. You can also learn about proposed legislation and contact your Senator or Delegate at http://legis.state.va.us/.
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Governor McDonnell established the Virginia Health Reform Initiative Advisory Council to develop recommendations to the Governor for implementing health reform in Virginia, including recommendations for a Health Benefit Exchange. Several task forces were also created to focus on Medicaid Reform, Insurance Reform, Capacity (including models of care and personnel needs), health care delivery and payment reform, technology and purchasers. The proposals will be considered by the General Assembly. You can find out more about the Initiative and work of the Council and Task Forces at www.hhr.virginia.gov/Initiatives/HealthReform.