Global Health

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- 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 today 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, http://healthreform.kff.org, 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.

The Source features the premiere of "Health Reform Hits Main Street," a new animated short movie designed to explain the health reform law to an American public still confused by how it works.  Written and produced by the Foundation, the animated movie features narration by Cokie Roberts, ABC News and NPR news commentator and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.  The movie has three major sections: explaining problems in the current health care system, short-term changes that will take place between now and 2014, and major provisions that will take effect in 2014.

Another new feature, The Scan, provides a daily feed of easily-digestible summaries of the latest research and studies from the Foundation and others, as well as official actions and other developments related to the health law.  The site also features the Foundation’s Twitter entries on health care reform and links to Kaiser Health News’ stories to provide U.S. policymakers, journalists, the health care policy community and the general public easy access to timely information about the law.

"We will continue to update and expand the information we provide through the Health Reform Source as implementation ramps up over the next several years," Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman.  "The Source will be the place where people can go to understand how the new health law really works, and for the latest policy information from us and others."

The Health Reform Source will also feature ongoing and future research and analysis on the health law conducted by Foundation experts, with a special area of emphasis on the 50 states as they proceed with the implementation of the law with varying approaches and results.  As more provisions of the law are implemented, the Foundation will add explanatory, basic information, summaries of the changes and new analyses.

Other new elements available on the Source 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.
* An 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 at http://healthreform.kff.org 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.

Content on the site will be continually updated, and new features will be added in the coming weeks and months, including an interactive tool that will illustrate how reform affects different groups of people, video profiles showing the experiences of real people and businesses, and a primer on the health reform law.