Amid talk of repeal, healthcare law’s latest benefits are quietly embraced
The Obama administration on Tuesday announced new initiatives to boost the quality of medical care that Americans receive, the first in what many experts believe may be one of the most far-reaching benefits of the new healthcare law.
And as talk of repealing the law dominates political debate, the new quality initiative is quietly winning the support of corporate leaders, doctors and healthcare experts across the political spectrum.
Starting next year, the federal government plans to work with physician practices in eight states to help primary-care doctors better coordinate the care their Medicare patients get throughout the medical system.
A similar effort will target hundreds of federally funded health clinics, which provide primary care to millions of poor Americans on Medicaid.
A new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation also will award $1-million grants to help states develop other new programs to coordinate care and improve quality.
“For too long, healthcare in the United States has been fragmented — failing to meet patients’ basic needs and leaving both patients and providers frustrated,” said Dr. Donald Berwick, who heads the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
The health overhaul that President Obama signed in March, which created the new center, was designed to help foster this kind of innovation, which many critics believed was not happening quickly enough or engaging enough private companies and doctors.
“We have a great opportunity ahead of us,” said Larry Becker, benefits director at Xerox Corp., which has been working with healthcare providers to streamline care in markets where it has facilities.
