 | This article contains promotional content .(June 2020) |
 | |
| Company type | Families USA Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)3 organization |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Washington D.C. |
Key people | Frederick Isasi (Executive Director) |
| Revenue | 3,172,965 United States dollar (2016)  |
| Total assets | 38,170,722 United States dollar (2022) |
| Website | familiesusa |
Families USA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer health advocacy and policy organization.
Technology entrepreneur Philippe Villers and his wife Kate [1] co-founded Families USA in 1981. [2] Families USA's advocacy in Washington, D.C., has influenced health care legislation and policy, including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, [3] federal and state legislation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, [4] the Affordable Care Act (ACA), [5] [6] defending against efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, [7] and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). [8]
In 2014, National Journal named Pollack one of the top 25 players in Congress, the Administration, and the lobbying community on Medicare prescription drug benefits. [9]
President Barack Obama credited Families USA with playing an instrumental role in promoting the enactment of the ACA and for the organization’s work in helping to implement and protect the historic health legislation. [10] On a printed copy of the ACA displayed in Families USA’s office, Obama wrote, “To Ron and Families USA – You made this happen!” [11]
In 2017, Frederick Isasi was appointed Executive Director of Families USA. [12] [13] He took over the executive director role from Ron Pollack, the organization's founding executive director [14] and leader for almost 35 years. [15] Isasi has testified before Congress on issues including health care costs, payment and delivery reform, [16] and healthcare coverage. [17] [18]
On November 23, 2016, Vanity Fair reported that shortly after Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, Families USA held a conference call with organizations from around the country to discuss efforts to prevent the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and formed the Protect Our Care coalition. [19] [7]
Ron Pollack, also a co-founder, became executive director of the organization, [20] a role he filled until 2017. [21]
The Hill named Pollack one of the nine top nonprofit lobbyists in 2010. [22]
The New York Times has described Families USA as a "nonpartisan consumer advocacy group" and [23] advocates for public policy [24] and research. [25] It has been involved in state-by-state campaigns to address the Medicaid coverage gap among low-income Americans, supporting legislative strategies [26] [27] and producing analysis documenting the benefits of extending health coverage. [28]
The organization has organized several structured dialogues on key healthcare issues among diverse stakeholder organization leaders, including those representing insurers, hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical companies, businesses, labor, and consumers. One such dialogue led to the creation of the Campaign for Children’s Health Care, which successfully pushed to extend CHIP. [29] Another set of dialogues sought and achieved common ground on extending health coverage to the uninsured. [30] A more recent dialogue developed proposals for promoting increased quality care at lower costs. [30]
Families USA's organization includes the National Center for Coverage Innovation (NCCI) [31] which advocates for measures to expand access to healthcare coverage. [32]
In the United States, Medicaid is a government program that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by state governments, which also have wide latitude in determining eligibility and benefits, but the federal government sets baseline standards for state Medicaid programs and provides a significant portion of their funding. States are not required to participate in the program, although all have since 1982.
The prices of health care in the United States are higher than in other countries. Compared to other OECD countries, U.S. healthcare costs are one-third higher or more relative to the size of the economy (GDP). According to the CDC, during 2015, health expenditures per-person were nearly $10,000 on average, with total expenditures of $3.2 trillion or 17.8% of GDP. Proximate reasons for the differences with other countries include higher prices for the same services and greater use of healthcare. Higher administrative costs, higher per-capita income, and less government intervention to drive down prices are deeper causes. While the annual inflation rate in healthcare costs has declined in recent decades, it still remains above the rate of economic growth, resulting in a steady increase in healthcare expenditures relative to GDP from 6% in 1970 to nearly 18% in 2015.
The Massachusetts health care reform, commonly referred to as Romneycare, was a healthcare reform law passed in 2006 and signed into law by Governor Mitt Romney with the aim of providing health insurance to nearly all of the residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
AHIP is an American political advocacy and trade association of health insurance companies that offer coverage through the employer-provided, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care, and individual markets.
Centene Corporation is an American for-profit healthcare company based in St. Louis, Missouri, which is an intermediary for government-sponsored and privately insured healthcare programs. Centene ranked No. 25 on the 2023 Fortune 500.
In the United States, health insurance helps pay for medical expenses through privately purchased insurance, social insurance, or a social welfare program funded by the government. Synonyms for this usage include "health coverage", "health care coverage", and "health benefits". In a more technical sense, the term "health insurance" is used to describe any form of insurance providing protection against the costs of medical services. This usage includes both private insurance programs and social insurance programs such as Medicare, which pools resources and spreads the financial risk associated with major medical expenses across the entire population to protect everyone, as well as social welfare programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which both provide assistance to people who cannot afford health coverage.
Healthcare reform in the United States has had a long history. Reforms have often been proposed but have rarely been accomplished. In 2010, landmark reform was passed through two federal statutes: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which amended the PPACA and became law on March 30, 2010.
In the United States, health insurance coverage is provided by several public and private sources. During 2019, the U.S. population was approximately 330 million, with 59 million people 65 years of age and over covered by the federal Medicare program. The 273 million non-institutionalized persons under age 65 either obtained their coverage from employer-based or non-employer based sources, or were uninsured. During the year 2019, 89% of the non-institutionalized population had health insurance coverage. Separately, approximately 12 million military personnel received coverage through the Veteran's Administration and Military Health System.
In the United States, health insurance marketplaces, also called health exchanges, are organizations in each state through which people can purchase health insurance. People can purchase health insurance that complies with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at ACA health exchanges, where they can choose from a range of government-regulated and standardized health care plans offered by the insurers participating in the exchange.
Medicaid estate recovery is a required process under United States federal law in which state governments adjust (settle) or recover the cost of care and services from the estates of those who received Medicaid benefits after they die. By law, states may not settle any payments until after the beneficiary's death. States are required to adjust or recover all costs under certain circumstances, all involving long-term care arrangements. Federal law also gives states the option to adjust or recover the costs of all payments to health care providers except Medicare cost-sharing for anyone on Medicaid over the age of 55.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and informally as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 amendment, it represents the U.S. healthcare system's most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of coverage since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Most of the act's provisions are still in effect.
In the United States, healthcare is largely provided by private sector healthcare facilities, and paid for by a combination of public programs, private insurance, and out-of-pocket payments. The U.S. is the only developed country without a system of universal healthcare, and a significant proportion of its population lacks health insurance. The United States spends more on healthcare than any other country, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP; however, this expenditure does not necessarily translate into better overall health outcomes compared to other developed nations. Coverage varies widely across the population, with certain groups, such as the elderly and low-income individuals, receiving more comprehensive care through government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.
James Claude Robinson is a professor of health economics at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, where he has the title of the Leonard D. Schaeffer Endowed Chair in Health Economics and Policy. Robinson is also the Chair of the Berkeley Center for Health Technology, which supports research and professional education projects related to coverage, management, and payment methods for innovative technologies including biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics.
Health care finance in the United States discusses how Americans obtain and pay for their healthcare, and why U.S. healthcare costs are the highest in the world based on various measures.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is divided into 10 titles and contains provisions that became effective immediately, 90 days after enactment, and six months after enactment, as well as provisions phased in through to 2020. Below are some of the key provisions of the ACA. For simplicity, the amendments in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 are integrated into this timeline.
This article summarizes healthcare in California.
A safety net hospital is a type of medical center in the United States that by legal obligation or mission provides healthcare for individuals regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. This legal mandate forces safety net hospitals (SNHs) to serve all populations. Such hospitals typically serve a proportionately higher number of uninsured, Medicaid, Medicare, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHiP), low-income, and other vulnerable individuals than their "non-safety net hospital" counterpart. Safety net hospitals are not defined by their ownership terms; they can be either publicly or privately owned. The mission of safety net hospitals is rather to provide the best possible care for those who are barred from health care due to the various possible adverse circumstances. These circumstances mostly revolve around problems with financial payments, insurance plans, or health conditions. Safety net hospitals are known for maintaining an open-door policy for their services.
Under the public healthcare policy of the United States, some people have incomes too high to qualify in their state of residence for Medicaid, the public health insurance plan for those with limited resources, but too low to qualify for the premium tax credits that would subsidize the purchase of private health insurance. These people are described as falling into the Medicaid coverage gap.
Seema Verma is a General Manager and Executive Vice President at Oracle Corporation. She was administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the first Donald Trump administration. During her tenure, she was involved in efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as well as reduce Medicaid benefits and increase restrictions on Medicaid. She was embroiled in ethics and legal controversies related to her use of taxpayer money while in office.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often shortened to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or nicknamed Obamacare, is a United States federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 amendment, it represents the U.S. healthcare system's most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Once the law was signed, provisions began taking effect, in a process that continued for years. Some provisions never took effect, while others were deferred for various periods.