California’s Role In Ensuring That The Potential Of Health Reform Becomes Reality
The fifty states will play a critical role in implementing the Affordable Care Act, and California is one of the states at the forefront of reform. The act can provide coverage to millions of currently uninsured Californians and offers important benefits in terms of more-affordable coverage, improved access to services, and better health outcomes. As the paper by Peter Long and Jonathan Gruber in this issue of Health Affairs notes, the ultimate effects of health reform in California will be influenced by the policy and program decisions that state lawmakers and administrators make during the next three years. Key issues include revamping cumbersome eligibility determination and enrollment processes that could prevent rapid enrollment in expanded public health insurance—but also affording that expansion in the face of large state budget deficits. California policy makers need to move thoughtfully and strategically to ensure that the potential of federal health reform becomes a reality for state residents.