Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: Summary, Analysis, and Opportunities for Advocacy for the Academic Emergency Physician

Abstract

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Bill, commonly referred to as the “Health Care Bill” or the “Health Care Reform Bill,” was enacted in March 2010. This article is a review and analysis of the sections of this Act that are relevant to researchers and teachers of emergency care. The purpose of this document is to serve as a citable reference for interested parties and a reference to quickly locate the sections of the Bill relevant to academic emergency physicians. When appropriate, text was copied verbatim from the Bill. The source of the downloaded Act, and the page numbers of the text sections, are provided to help the reader to find the sections described. This review is presented in two parts. Part I presents 11 sections extirpated from the Act, with short interpretations of the significance of each section. Part II presents an analysis of the sections that the authors believe represent opportunities for emergency care researchers and teachers to make the most impact, through active involvement with the various departments and agencies of the federal government that will be charged with interpreting and implementing this Act. The Act contains sections that could lead to new funding opportunities for research in emergency care, especially for comparative clinical trials and clinical studies that focus on integration and efficiency of health care delivery. The Act will establish several new institutes, centers, and committees that will create policies highly relevant to emergency care. The authors conclude that this Act can be expected to have a profound influence on research and training in emergency care.