- http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/06/15/155112660/calif-runs-with-health-law-without-waiting-on-supreme-court
- http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/09/25/161759253/what-s-in-a-name-california-brands-its-health-care-exchange
- http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2012/november/02/california-medicaid-expansion-sacramento.aspx?referrer=search
- http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/November/13/nevada-insurance-exchange-sandoval.aspx
Provide names of other journalists involved.
(I included the link to the NPR or Kaiser Health News versions of these stories, although the audio I submitted were for the local, CapRadio features). I worked with editors Gisele Grayson (NPR) and Diane Webber (Kaiser Health News) through the “Health Care in the States” project.
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
November 4th, 2012 – “Nevada Quietly Moves Forward with Key Part of Federal Health Law” October 17th, 2012 – “In Road to Medicaid Expansion, Only the Poorest Will Benefit in Sacramento” September 21st, 2012 – “Making a Meaningful Name for California’s New Health Marketplace” June 11th, 2012 – “California Builds New Health Market, Despite Uncertainty”
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
As a health care policy reporter, a huge focus of my job is covering the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Our listening area includes the state of California and Western Nevada. Both of these states have been early implementers of the federal health law, although one state has been more public about its compliance than the other. These four-minute feature stories exemplify the depth and storytelling I tried to bring to coverage of state implementation of the federal law. What I am not including are the many other spot stories that kept listeners apprised of California’s movements under the law in 2012. California is being watched by policymakers nationally because of its strong commitment to the Affordable Care Act and its large and diverse consumer market. Three of these four features have aired nationally, and one appeared in print version on Kaiser Health News. The below body of work explores the state’s political will and decision-making at key moments, such as right before the Supreme Court decision and the Presidential elections. The stories also look at the challenges California faces building massive market-based reforms on top of a complex health system. 1. California Builds New Health Market, Despite Uncertainty (June 11th, 2012) As the nation waits for the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a historic ruling on the constitutionality of President Obama’s overhaul of federal health care, California is not waiting to make changes. State health planners say even if the high court overturns the federal mandate to buy insurance, their effort will move forward. 2. “Making a Meaningful Name for California’s New Health Marketplace:” September 21st, 2012 State governments around the U.S. are in various stages of setting up new health insurance marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act. California’s Health Benefit Exchange is coming up with a new name and logo — they want something simple and catchy. 3. In Road to Medicaid Expansion, Only the Poorest Will Benefit in Sacramento (October 17th, 2012) Sacramento County announces a new Low Income Health Program today. The public health network is part of California’s early efforts to expand Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act. But the county is getting a slow and limited start. 4. Nevada Quietly Moves Forward with Key Part of Federal Health Law (November 4th, 2012) Nevada has one of the highest rates of people without health insurance in the nation. Although Nevada was one of the states that filed suit against the federal health law, it has quietly been implementing a key component of the Affordable Care Act.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I used state government data about the federal waiver program to prepare county health systems for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. I also used census data and read research from the Kaiser Family Foundation. My reporting involved numerous information requests over several months from both state and county health departments.
Explain types of human sources used.
I interviewed the Governor of Nevada, uninsured people, and spent time at safety-net clinics. I also interviewed many numerous health policy players, including clinic providers, doctors, consumer advocates, insurance groups, academics and government officials.
Results:
None that are notable.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
None that are notable.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Spend time doing the background research, both through documents and phone interviews. The Affordable Care Act is extremely complex and health systems (at least in California) vary significantly by county.