Budget Pressures Present Challenge to Rollout of Health Care Reform

The so-called “supercommittee” charged with shaving $1.5 trillion from the federal deficit is considering, among its options, delaying the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act, health economist Richard Frank, Ph.D., said at APA's Institute on Psychiatric Services in San Francisco. Frank, a familiar figure to APA audiences, outlined the progress that has been made in implementing the president’s signature health care reform law, as well as the significant obstacles and challenges it faces. More on the session will be reported in a future issue of Psychiatric News. For information about the health care reform law, see Health Care Reform: A Primer for Psychiatrists, published by American Psychiatric Publishing.

(Image: Mark Moran)