new resource on health reform

Kaiser Family Foundation Launches Online Health Reform Source to Explain, Analyze and Track the New Law’s Implementation

Nearly six months since the signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and as some key provisions are due to be implemented, the Kaiser Family Foundation launched an online gateway providing easy access to new and comprehensive resources on the health reform law. Recognizing the transition from the debate about passage to the realities of implementing a law, the Health Reform Source has many new features that provide explanations of the basics of the law, in-depth analysis of policy issues in implementation, and quick and easy access to relevant data, studies and developments. A new animated short movie, “Health Reform Hits Main Street,” featuring narration by Cokie Roberts, ABC News and NPR news commentator and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, explains the health reform law to an American public still confused by how it works. Other initial new features include:

• A customizable Implementation Timeline which presents a detailed list of major provisions that can be viewed by year or by topic.
• A series of Video Explainer clips of Foundation experts answering specific questions about the law on a variety of health policy topics.
• In interactive state map of the U.S. that features pop-up boxes of key state-specific information related to health coverage and the health law, and links to new health reform pages on the Foundation’s statehealthfacts.org featuring key data, reports, and news for each state.
• The Public Opinion: Poll Watch featuring a weekly round-up of surveys from the Foundation and others assessing public attitudes and experiences over time related to the health reform law.
• The Foundation’s updated Health Reform Subsidy Calculator to illustrate premiums, government subsidies and out-of-pocket costs for people eligible for health coverage in exchanges due to be established in 2014.
• An Official Document Finder that provides quick access to federal regulations and studies related the health law.
• A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) database addressing questions about the health law.
• Government Resources provide links to federal government websites that provide information to consumers and regulatory guidance about the provisions of the law.

Kaiser’s Health Reform Source can be viewed online and you can subscribe to alerts via email and RSS feeds. Additionally, the Foundation has established a Facebook page for the Health Reform Source which will feature additional related material.