The historic Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act offers new opportunities to extend affordable coverage to millions of Americans and promises to transform the way in which care is delivered in the United States. These changes will enable more Americans to get the health care they need when they need it, which will result in healthier outcomes and will also reduce the circumstances that contribute to the high cost of health care, such as avoidable emergency room visits and hospital stays.
Through the Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver, an agreement between the State of California and the Federal government, California’s public hospital systems are being given the opportunity to prepare for 2014, when millions of newly covered patients will seek health care services. Public hospital systems are expanding coverage and enrolling patients in medical homes, where they can receive primary and preventive care. Public hospital systems have also embarked on multiple, system-wide efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of care in their systems so that care is more patient-centered and integrated. These improvements will assist public hospital systems in serving as providers of choice under health reform.
Despite the promise of health care reform, there will continue to be millions of others who remain uninsured. Public hospital systems' doors will remain open to all who need care, regardless of their ability to pay. CAPH, along with our quality improvement affiliate, the California Health Care Safety Net Institute, are working with our member hospital systems to make them more competitive as we look to 2014, and to ensure that their services are available to all those in need.
Please see the following material on health care reform and related topics: