Implementation and the Legacy of Health Care Reform

Now that President Barack Obama has signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, pundits and politicians are debating whether the landmark legislation will be a political asset or an albatross. The truth is that the legacy of this new law will be determined by the underlying policy and the competence with which it is implemented.The stakeholders in Washington, D.C., know all too well that the players who will wield the most influence over how the law's reforms are integrated into the nation's health care system do not reside in the Capitol Building. The new power brokers . . .