Health Care Reform (HCR) is here, right?  That is true on one level, in that President Obama has signed a health care bill into law. But the signing of the bill only begins the process of change. Until the agencies write the rules, little change will occur. Today, the country is divided over whether the bill is good or bad, so time will tell whether the appropriate changes are in place to reform the system.

We can each determine now, based on our own political views, whether we like what was passed. Whether you think the bill went too far or not far enough—we can agree that what was passed will be a game changer for the health care system, just like the Medicare Program was when passed in 1965.  The new bill provides expansion of coverage, reforms the health insurance market, reforms the payment system, introduces many reforms to the health system, and includes an expanded focus on fraud and abuse.

How do you think pharmacy practice fared with the new health care bill?

What should pharmacy organizations focus on in the legislative arena, now that HCR has passed?

What should pharmacy practitioners do to prepare for the changes that HCR will require?

Fred Eckel
Editor-in-Chief
Pharmacy Times