Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida

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News from Partners of the HPC

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** The following press release went out on Monday. 

For Immediate Release                         Laura Goodhue, Florida CHAIN
Monday, August 9, 2010                        954-213-8647 or
[email protected]

Florida Needs New Commission to Implement the Affordable Care Act

With State losing time and money, advocacy groups urge Governor and Legislature to act immediately

(Jupiter, Florida)-Thirty-four Florida organizations co-released a letter today calling on the Florida Legislature and Governor Crist to form a commission to oversee the implementation of the new health law, The Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The ACA includes provisions that will help Floridians get and/or keep affordable, quality health coverage. Although it is a federal law, Florida must make decisions about whether and how to implement many parts of it. 

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 21 States have already enacted or adopted legislation or officially formed committees, task forces, or boards responsible for ACA implementation. In Florida, however, no such entity exists, and no plans have been announced to create one. As a result, Floridians have already lost resources other States will now get instead. In fact, by ignoring  ACA implementation, Florida stands to lose billions in federal dollars over the next 10 years, not to mention the benefits those funds would have provided and the jobs they would have created.

"Federal grants are available now to help Floridians reap the benefits of the Affordable Care Act," said Laura Goodhue, Executive Director of Florida CHAIN, one of the signatories. "We are missing out on funding to provide consumer assistance in navigating the health care system and establish insurance exchanges that will increase competition," she added. "We need a coordinated effort, not only to take advantage of these new benefits, but also to effectively implement provisions that will improve our health system and bring new coverage to millions of Floridians."

In addition to federal grants, other ACA benefits on which Florida must take action to implement include: opportunities to increase Florida's supply of health care professionals; create "medical homes" to better coordinate care for Medicaid recipients; lower health care costs driven by the practice of defensive medicine; and help millions of Floridians find and keep quality health coverage.

In the joint letter addressed to state officials, thirty-four organizations urged establishment of an oversight commission that would do the following:

- Identify and catalog ACA provisions that affect Florida, and assess their potential impact on Florida families and businesses 

- Develop a plan and timeline for ACA implementation

- Determine which entities are responsible for major implementation components, and establish how these entities will coordinate with each other

-  Devise strategies to maximize access to new resources and consumer protections

-  Propose ways to integrate new ACA requirements and resources into the current health care system

-  Suggest methods of informing families, businesses, and other stakeholders about the impact of the Affordable Care Act

-  Recommend changes in laws and rules necessary to best implement the ACA.

You may read the letter here.

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Florida CHAIN is a statewide advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health of all Floridians by promoting access to quality, affordable health care. CHAIN stands for "Community Health Action Information Network" and should be capitalized. Florida CHAIN's website is www.floridachain.org.

 

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