In taking a closer look at the new ObamaCare healthcare initiative (which kicks in completely by 2014) you’ll find a number of new agencies, new acronyms and new bureaucracies that have been created to manage and implement the act. It looks to me like the Federal Government is moving quickly to manage, administer and control most of the healthcare dollars. With 20% of our GDP made up by healthcare and another 24% going towards the Federal bureaucracy it looks like the government is taking a much more active role in your life.
American business is cautious as to what the full impact of Obamacare will mean to their bottom lines. When business is uncertain, they wait. This lingering recession has a lot to do with uncertainty coming out of Washington. With trillions on the side lines the business sector hasn’t jumped in to restart the hiring process.
Let’s hope the performance of the US Postal Service isn’t an precursory of what we are in for.
Here’s some acronyms you should get familiar with. These can all be found in the new healthcare bill;
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Medicaid and CHIP health program – childrens based program and Federal matching program for the lower income
(IPAB) Independent Payment Advisory Board
US Preventive Services Task Force – (rating agency for prenentive care)
Indian Health Care Improvement Act
CLASS Program – created to living assistace in communities
Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute – non profit created to analyze results of care
Workforce Advisory Committee – agency created to provide healthcare workers
National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Heath Council – strategy think tank
Innovation Center – within Medicare dept designed to find savings within Medicare –
State Balancing Incentive Program – within medicare – ‘enhance federal matching funds to states’
Community First Choice Option – within Medicaide – ‘enhance state support for people with disabilities’
National Health Service Corp – 5 year $1.5 billion funding school based care and nurse based clinics
Teaching Health Centers – provide payment to community ambulatory services.
Graduate Medical Education (GME) – establish training for healthcare workers
Accountable Care Organizations – hospital based program where patient savings are shared with provider
Medicare Independence At Home
Hospital Value Based Purchasing – puts the Fed gov in the medical device and supply business as a low price negotiator.
Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) – helps create member run, non profit healthcare programs
Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) – used to bench mark costs and fees for medical care.
American Health Benefit Exchanges – State based to provide affordable coverage for biz with less than 100 employees
Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) – Same as above
Office of Personnel Management – department responsible to ensure each state has two multi state plans in each exchange.
Basic Health Plan – a mechanism that allows each state to get into the healthcare business
Independent Payment Advisory Board – 15 member panel that will recommend cost containment ideas to Congress.
Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) – a mechanism to balance out payments to hospitals that help them cover uncompensated care. Eventually that states commitment to uncompensated will be covered by the state.