On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld President Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) with exceptions to the enforcement of the expansion of Medicaid.
The focus returns to continuing implementation of the law. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other agencies are under pressure to comply with deadlines to get proposed and final rules released. States also must increase activities to get Health Exchanges up and running by the 2014 deadline. Currently, fewer than half of the States have authorizing legislation to establish an Exchange, but many more States have taken HHS grant funding and are issuing requests for proposals for the necessary information technology work necessary to set up Health Exchanges. Providers too must continue in their efforts to comply with the ACA and be prepared to comply with requirements that take effect as early as 2012-13.
AHCA/NCAL is examining this decision on Medicaid expansion in detail and will be offering materials to explain how this ruling affects long term care providers.