Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a landmark law that moves the health care system in the direction of prevention of disease and supports the role of local health departments. The law provides insurance coverage to a majority of the uninsured, authorizes new funding opportunities that advance public health and chronic disease prevention and requires coverage of clinical preventive services without cost-sharing in Medicare and new health insurance plans and incentivizes states to do the same in their Medicaid programs.

The ACA makes sweeping changes to insurance coverage and provides increased federal support for prevention activities.

NACCHO hosted a webinar with Vernon K. Smith, PhD, Managing Principal of Health Management Associates in Lansing, MI about how Medicaid changes may affect local health departments.

A recording of the webinar and slides are available here.

The implementation of health reform will require new partnerships. NACCHO has collaborated with the National Association of Community Health Centers on a new publication Partnerships between Federally Qualified Health Centers and Local Health Departments for Engaging in the Development of a Community-Based System of Care.

The publication is available free of charge for download from NACHC.

The National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council, created by ACA, advises the president on actions the federal government can take to promote disease prevention. The council membership consists of cabinet secretaries from various departments and is chaired by the U.S. surgeon general. 

• National Prevention Strategy (released June 2011)