Healthcare Reform
WVU PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PROFESSOR UNCOVERS ROOTS OF RESISTANCE TO AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
WVU Public Administration professor uncovers roots of resistance to Affordable Care Act Dr. Christopher Plein notes that “he Affordable Care Act is one of the most significant pieces of public policy that has been enacted in the United States in the past 50 years. It is sweeping and contentious. The success of its implementation relies largely upon the states, so taking a closer look at their efforts will bring a greater understanding about American health care reform.” Dr. Christopher Plein was one on the lead researchers on the reports part of the 35-state ACA implementation project of the Rockefeller Institute of Government of the State University of New York, the Brookings Institution, and the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. The event was also sponsored by WVU and the GOVERNING Institute. The overview and regional reports.
The rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in West Virginia is a tale of two reforms. One is a story of how a state, which was one of the earliest to adopt legislation for creating an exchange, decided instead to abandon plans for a state exchange and to passively participate in a federal-state partnership. The other is a story of how, after much hesitation and trepidation, the state decided in the eleventh hour to expand Medicaid. In doing so, it launched a proactive and apparently successful effort to reach out to and enroll qualified individuals. The contrasts are clear and abundant and they tell us much about the politics involved in health care reform and the harsh practicalities and realities that states face in dealing with serious and pressing needs and issues in health care services.