Some Are Still Holding Out Hope that the Elections Will Change PPACA (Health Care Reform)

Not an unreasonable thought. The elections will determine a great deal. If the Republicans do gain the White House as well a strong majority (min 60) of the Senate while retaining control of the House, changes to PPACA could happen quickly. Anything less will bog things down and changes will be slow. A good example of this is the bill that passed in House repealing PPACA, which passed on Wednesday.  It was more a symbolic gesture than legislation that would actually go anywhere, at least until the above mentioned shifts within the legislature takes place. 

Since the original PPACA bill has passed, some of the amendments have been postponed and others even overturned.  Although, the bulk of the legislation is still in place to take affect over the next 6 years, with the majority of it being implemented in 2014.

So, should we wait until the elections are done and see where the cards may lie?  I guess the way I like to look at it is plan for worst and expect the best.  Then you are prepared no matter which way it goes, or how long it takes. The most important thing is to stay informed utilizing reliable sources such as your benefits advisor. Beware of a great deal of misinformation on the internet and TV news media. Check your sources carefully.

On another note, what is Alaska doing?  The proposal for the Alaska State Exchange by the Public Consulting Group is out and available to the public on the State of Alaska website.  Our Governor refuses to fund an Alaska health exchange stating that a federally mandated law should be funded by federal funds.  Things could get very interesting. Agree or not with his decision, the Governor brings up an important issue: should States be forced to pay for a federally mandated program? It was a question that needed to be asked… what type of autonomy do we have as a State….now for an answer?

K. Michael Ward is an Advisor at The Wilson Agency, a full service strategic employee benefits consulting firm, helping Alaskan businesses to develop an organized approach to complex employee initiatives.

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