National Health Reform Law and Policy Project: A Framework for Comparative Analysis of Legislative Proposals and their Implications for Cancer Prevention, Detection, Treatment, and Survivorship
Brought to you in Partnership with the GW Cancer Institute
Welcome and Introduction
Welcome to the National Health Reform Law and Policy Project: A Framework for Comparative Analysis of Legislative Proposals and their Implications for Cancer Prevention, Detection, Treatment and Survivorship. The Pfizer Global Health Partnerships Program has funded The George Washington University to undertake this project that translates national health reform legislative proposals into clear terms with a special focus on cancer. This project is being carried out through a partnership between the GW Department of Health Policy within the School of Public Health and Health Services and the GW Cancer Institute Center for the Advancement of Cancer Survivorship, Navigation and Policy (caSNP), which focuses broadly on the scientific, clinical, and public health dimensions of cancer, cancer treatment, and cancer survivorship.
The project is designed to provide an accessible and understandable comparative analysis and summaries of the major pieces of health reform legislation in the 111th Congress from a cancer perspective. Through these materials, the purpose is to advance public understanding of the legal and policy implications of health reform for policymakers, health professionals, and patients with cancer and their families during the legislative phase and as a matter of ongoing legislative and regulatory implementation. The unfolding process suggests health reforms that will not only move the nation toward universal health insurance but lay the groundwork for a comprehensive re-engineering of the health system to achieve greater quality, transparency, system efficiency, public health integration, and equity through reduction in disparities in health and health care.
Because of its nature and the critical elements of successful intervention, cancer offers a compelling frame of reference through which to consider and measure both the near- and long-term effects of health reform - from the elimination of coverage barriers based on a pre-existing condition to the quality of treatment and the integration of care with community-based services.
Change will come over time. The legislative proposals themselves can be thought of as the critical opening act, broadly directive in structure. Many of the most important details will be addressed through the implementation process, as federal and state agencies begin the enormous task of implementing reform, and as consumers, patients, employers, medical and health professionals, health insurers, and the health care industry begin to embrace change.
The initial Congressional phase of this epic odyssey - one that has been virtually a century in the making when one considers the earliest efforts at national health reform - is expected to be completed during the 111th Congress. During this time, lawmakers will consider several major pieces of legislation introduced by members of both parties and also can be expected to weigh a large volume of proposed legislative amendments, many of which will carry decisive implications for the measures under consideration. Legislative language is dense and cryptic, and the process of legislative debate is extremely complex. Indeed, the text of legislation and the process by which that text is written and turned into law, can obscure the pivotal nature of the policy reforms that are being considered.
This project will continue throughout the legislative phase of national health reform and into the equally important implementation phase. It is designed to examine both the statutory framework of health reform, as well as the critical post-enactment phase, when the tasks of implementing law and social policy rise to the fore. As such, this project aims to translate the technical language of legislative proposals into an accessible assessment of the extent to which these proposals move the health care system toward the goals of cancer prevention, early cancer detection, high quality treatment and management, and into long-term survivorship care.
In developing this comparative analysis of national health reform proposals, GW faculty and staff consulted with a national advisory committee of experts in health policy, cancer treatment and management to identify the key questions that should be asked when the subject is cancer. These key questions, discussed in greater detail in the taxonomy, guide the analysis of the proposals. In reviewing the proposals, the project swept broadly, asking not only questions of coverage access, affordability, and quality, but the potential for coverage to result in high quality and affordable health care at all points along the cancer prevention and treatment spectrum. Equally fundamental is the question of whether health reform, as conceptualized and designed, will have the potential to reduce or eliminate the significant disparities in access, quality and outcomes that characterize health care in 21st century America.
As legislative proposals are introduced and evolve, the analysis will be continuously updated. In addition, this site will contain links to ongoing research studies conducted by the faculty and staff of the Department of Health Policy that will be of interest to readers involved in national health reform and the implications for the cancer community.
Available Materials
At this site, readers will find an analysis of national health reform proposals, including the following materials:
As major legislative proposals move through the House and Senate, this site also will offer case studies to help readers understand the potential impact of reform on cancer prevention, treatment, support, and survivorship.
Visit Often
This website will be continuously updated as legislation is formally introduced and moves through Congress. The following measures can currently be found in this initial posting:
Please see the User's Guide to learn more about the Comparative Legislative Tables.
About caSNP
caSNP focuses broadly on the interrelated scientific, clinical, public health and health policy dimensions of cancer care with a special emphasis on patient navigation, and survivorship. The Center was created in 2009 through a partnership between the GW Cancer Institute and the Department of Health Policy within the School of Public Health and Health Services and is supported by the Pfizer Foundation and Pfizer Inc.'s Global Health Partnerships Program.
About The George Washington Cancer Institute
The GW Medical Center's Cancer Institute (GWCI) takes a comprehensive approach to a complex disease. In connection with the GW Hospital and the GW Medical Faculty Associates, the Institute provides for collaboration in the study, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. GWCI's mission is to provide a confluence of groundbreaking biomedical and clinical research, high quality educational programs, and outstanding patient care to the entire Metropolitan Washington area, and effective outreach for the community. Many programs focus on studying cancers, such as breast, lung, prostate and gastrointestinal/ colorectal cancer, that disproportionately affect minority and other vulnerable populations, For more information, visit http://www.gwumc.edu/gwci.
About The George Washington University Medical Center
The George Washington University Medical Center is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary academic health center that has consistently provided high-quality medical care in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area for 176 years. The Medical Center comprises the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the 11th oldest medical school in the country; the School of Public Health and Health Services, the only such school in the nation's capital; GW Hospital, jointly owned and operated by a partnership between The George Washington University and Universal Health Services, Inc.; and the GW Medical Faculty Associates, an independent faculty practice plan. For more information on GWUMC, visit www.gwumc.edu.
About the Pfizer Foundation
The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organization established by Pfizer Inc. Its mission is to promote access to quality health care, to nurture innovation, and to support the community involvement of Pfizer colleagues. The Pfizer Foundation provides funding and resources to local and international organizations that expand and improve global health strategies. In 2008, the Foundation provided $47.1million in grants and employee matching gifts to non-governmental organizations around the world. The Global Health Partnerships program is one of the Pfizer Foundation's signature initiatives reflecting Pfizer's global commitment to working with a diverse group of local NGO experts towards improving the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and reducing the disease's incidence and burden. Pfizer Inc and the Pfizer Foundation will be providing a total of more than $47 million (USD) over four years (2007 - 2010) through 29 grants addressing emerging challenges in cancer and tobacco control in 46 countries across five continents. The program collaborates with a diverse group of local experts to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and to reduce its incidence and burden. The Foundation solicits proposals from organizations that promote access to health care through evidence-based programs that can reach large audiences and be leveraged at the local level. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests.