The Affordable Care Act: Preparing for Year 2

This post was written by Ferd H. Mitchell and Cheryl C. Mitchell, Thomson Reuters authors and attorney partners at Mitchell Law Office in Spokane, WA

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is preparing for the Year 2 enrollment cycle, to begin on Nov. 15, 2014. Fewer than four months remain for the Department of Health and Human Services to demonstrate that the “second time around” can take place with reduced problems.

The Professional Development Group at Thomson Reuters is continuing to build up the resources that it offers to attorneys whose practices are affected by the ACA.

The Group’s “ACA and the Law” program activities are providing materials that attorneys may draw upon to best understand what is happening during implementation of the health care law. The objective is to gain insights that may be used to support practices in the most effective way.

As Thomson Reuters authors, we have prepared two books (updated each year) that examine the dynamics of ACA implementation and resultant changes in the Health Care System, linked to the impact on legal practices. We are also updating these works with twice-monthly ACA blog postings.

Of particular concern at this point is the Year 2 enrollment period soon to be faced. Leading issues include unresolved conflict over large-employer and small-business-employer involvement in the ACA, and computer information-handling problems that have continued to affect the Health Benefit Exchanges since Year 1 enrollment.

The software and hardware features of the Exchanges are improved, but far from completely fixed. In addition, uneven implementation of the expanded Medicaid program across the country continues to be a disruptive influence within ACA efforts.

All of these issues—and others—affect how the health law is proceeding and how attorney practices are being affected. For additional resources on the Affordable Care Act and to order publications, visit the ACA resource page at http://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.com/law-products/promo/healthcare-law.

Ferd H. Mitchell and his wife, Cheryl, are attorney partners at Mitchell Law Office in Spokane, WA. They are active in elder law and health law practice areas. They have been working together on programs and activities on behalf of the elderly and in health care for over 25 years. During their studies, they have visited and evaluated the health care systems of Japan and several countries in Europe to learn how the needs of the elderly are assessed and met in other countries, and they have been better able to understand the U.S. health care system and related care issues from these visits.

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