title: US health care policy and reform: implications for cardiac electrophysiology.
abstract: In response to unsustainably rising costs, variable quality and access to health care, and the projected insolvency of vital safety net insurance programs, the federal government has proposed important health policy and regulatory changes in the USA. The US Supreme Court's decision to uphold most of the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act will lead to some of the most sweeping government reforms on entitlements since the creation of Medicare. Furthermore, implementation of new organizational, reimbursement, and health care delivery models will strongly affect the practice of cardiac electrophysiology. In this brief review, we will provide background and context to the problem of rising health care costs and describe salient reforms and their projected impacts on the field and practice of cardiac electrophysiology.
authors: Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Ave, 111C, Palo Alto, CA 9430, USA. mintu@stanford.edu
authors: Mintu P
authors: MP
authors: Turakhia
authors: Aditya J
authors: AJ
authors: Ullal
mesh_terms: D058406:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy; D057186:Comparative Effectiveness Research; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac / Q000191:economics; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D018166:Health Care Reform; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare / Q000458:organization & administration; D017146:Models, Organizational; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D014481:United States
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