Forecasting Health Policy For The Post-Election Landscape

Various news stories examine how the outcome of the presidential election could lead to very different  courses for the health law's implementation and approaches to Medicare reform.  

Kaiser Health News: How The Health Law Might Be Changed By The Next President
On the presidential campaign trail, Republican Mitt Romney has repeatedly called for repeal of the 2010 health law and President Barack Obama has vowed to implement it. Yet both men could face obstacles: Romney may be stymied by the lack of a majority in Congress to do his will and Obama could be forced by fiscal concerns or public opinion to revamp parts of the law. Here is a look at how Obama and Romney might change the health law in the years ahead based on interviews with health policy experts (Carey, 10/31).

The Medicare NewsGroup: Romney Presidency Could Mean Substantial Changes In Access To Health Care, Approaches To Medicare Reform
If Mitt Romney wins the presidential election, this much is certain: He will do everything he can to make good on his vow to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's 2010 health care overhaul. However, his ability to follow through on this promise depends on more than just winning the presidential election. There are several "what ifs" that would need to fall into place to bring about substantial changes to Medicare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a Romney presidency; and chief among them is the shape of Congress after next Tuesday's election (Pasternak, 10/31).

The Medicare NewsGroup: A Second Term For Obama: What It Would Mean For Medicare
If President Obama wins the election and another four years in office, Medicare would be saved from the major overhaul GOP candidates Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have endorsed. Right? Well, sort of. The notion that Obama is "saving Medicare" certainly is one the Obama campaign hopes will stick with the voting public and, in particular, with seniors and soon-to-be seniors in key swing states, such as Florida, Ohio and Virginia, who want to maintain Medicare in its current form. An Obama victory would almost certainly mean another four years would pass without the possibility that Medicare would be converted into a premium-support, or voucher, program, the GOP's plan for reform (Szot, 10/31).