Del. Democratic Gov. Jack Markell says Thursday’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act is an important step in the transformation of health care in America.
Markell credits President Barack Obama for taking on the health care crisis. The Supreme Court decision upholds the constitutionality of the law that came to be known as “Obama-care.”
The Associated Press reports the number of insured in Del. is between 100,000 and 110,000, which is about 11 percent of the state’s population.
Del. lawmakers and administration officials are working on establishing a health care insurance exchange. The state is seeking public input to develop minimum coverage requirements for health care plans offered to individuals and small businesses.
“This transformation of our health care system requires continued commitment to prevention and early detection, improving health outcomes, aligning our payment models to reward positive outcomes, and utilizing technology to better coordinate care and to deliver the highest quality care possible,” said Markell.
Here is the full statement from Gov. Markell:
“The President deserves credit for being willing to tackle a status quo of rapidly rising costs and shrinking coverage. The decision allows our state and nation to move past the uncertainty months of deliberations have caused and move forward to address critical health care issues facing the state and nation."
"The Supreme Court’s ruling enables Delaware to continue to implement provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide access to health care benefits for Delawareans. It means that pre-existing condition exclusions for children will continue to be banned, that people starting their careers can continue to access health care through their parent’s coverage until age 26, and that work in Delaware can continue on providing access to quality affordable health care coverage to Delawareans. On the Medicaid front, Delaware already voluntarily expanded the state’s Medicaid coverage program in 1996 to cover many Delawareans not previously covered."
"We cannot address access to health care without simultaneously addressing the issue of health care costs. The health care system and marketplace are changing and must continue to change to address the unsustainable healthcare costs in Delaware and nationally. We must move from a sick care system to a health care system. The good news is that by improving health we can also reduce health care costs – and instead invest in the infrastructure and economic development climate that supports jobs. This transformation of our health care system requires continued commitment to prevention and early detection, improving health outcomes, aligning our payment models to reward positive outcomes, and utilizing technology to better coordinate care and to deliver the highest quality care possible."
"We look forward to our continued work and collaboration with the provider and payer community to transform how care is delivered, to support their innovation initiatives, and to get the right incentives and opportunities in place to promote health and prevent disease as we move forward to ensure access to affordable healthcare for Delawareans. While certainly not easy and not a quick fix, transforming health care can be a win-win; we can improve the quality of care, reduce the costs of care and improve the health of all Delawareans.”
