With the recent 5-4 decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the Affordable Care Act, there is much speculation on how this legislation will change clinical practice as more than 32 million Americans are expected to enter the health care system. While the unknowns are greater than what we currently understand about the ACA, the AASM has been analyzing what is in store for sleep medicine. Over the next several weeks, we will provide you with summaries of relevant sections of the Act and the corresponding requirements. Hopefully this information will help equip you in moving forward with your practice. Some of the issues that we’ll touch on include:
- Individual Mandate
- Employer Requirements
- Expansion of Public Programs
- Premium and Cost-Sharing Subsidies to Individuals
- Tax Changes related to Financing Health Reform
- Health Insurance Exchanges
- Changes to Private Insurance
- Cost Containment
- Improving Quality/Health System Performance
- Prevention/Wellness
- Long-Term Care
The AASM is planning a webinar to provide you with further education about the ACA. As we prepare this webinar, we’d like to hear from members on what specific information or questions you have regarding the ACA. Send your comments and questions to policy@aasm.org by August 1, and we’ll do our best to address your questions during the webinar.
The Board of Directors meets the weekend of July 28, and I look forward to providing you with an update of our activities shortly after. As always, please feel free to contact me at sfleishman@aasm.org with your questions and feedback.
