Healthcare Reform in the States

A study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that the states with residents that have the most to gain from the Affordable Care Act – are also those who are the slowest to set up the insurance exchanges required under the health-care overhaul. The report, State Progress Toward Health Reform Implementation: Slower Moving States Have Much to Gain, outlines the projected impact for states as they implement the ACA. The report states that under the ACA, uninsurance rates will decrease in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C., contributing to a national decline of 24 million nonelderly uninsured individuals.

There are resources available that offer information on Affordable Care Act implementation providing both practical guidance as well as information about what is happening in states across the country. These resources are important tools because the successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act is instrumental in the policies effectiveness. One such resource, KidsWell is a state and national effort aimed at ensuring the successful implementation of health care reform on behalf of children. The goal of the KidsWell campaign is to sustain a multi-tiered, highly coordinated network of national, state and local partners working collectively to represent the perspectives of children. KidsWell has tools for successful state implementation of the ACA, state specific and national resources, state profiles, updates on what’s happening at the federal and state level and funding information.