Health Care Reform Signed Into Law

US Pharm. 2010;35(4):6. 

Washington, DC — Following months of debate in Congress, President Obama signed the $938 billion Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010. It contains extensive legislation that will be implemented throughout the next decade and will have significant impact on individuals, businesses, and health care professionals. Included among the many provisions are the creation of Health Benefit Exchanges to purchase insurance; requirements for large companies to provide health insurance to their full-time employees or face penalties; amendments to the Social Security Act; new taxes on pharmaceutical and device manufacturers; and the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid. Pharmacy provisions include improvements to the Medicare Part D medication therapy management (MTM) benefit, reductions in the cuts to Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement under the average manufacturer price (AMP) model, and a conditional exemption for pharmacies from the durable medical equipment (DME) Medicare accreditation requirements. The health care reform law is considered the most sweeping overhaul of the U.S. health care system since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.