Talking with Patients and Clients about Healthcare Reform

According to a recent New York Times article, patients are asking their healthcare providers questions about the healthcare reform laws, not just about their personal health. The healthcare providers don't always know how to answer.

It's not surprising. At over 1,200 pages each, the healthcare reform laws are not a light read. They are written in legalese, not plain English. Certain provisions don't take effect for months or even years. It's hard to keep it all straight.

That's what we're trying to help with at our healthcare reform site. While the bills were going through Congress, we followed the conversations and provided summaries and updates. We answered questions people were asking. We waded through all the information--and misinformation--and presented the facts of reform and how it would affect our region.

Now that the bills are law, we're starting to do the same thing. We've posted a summary of the laws and when the changes take effect . In the coming weeks and months, we'll include more summaries and analysis, as well as links to other sources of information.

So what do you want to know about the laws? What questions do you have or are you getting? How can we help you explain healthcare reform to your clients and patients?