Affordable Healthcare Act Subject of Upcoming Forum

The Affordable Health Care Act, signed into law in 2010, will bring a lot of changes to healthcare, adding consumer protections, expanding access and quality of healthcare and providing tax credits to small businesses, according to supporters. 

But it’s also being challenged by 26 states who are arguing that the law is unconstitutional because it requires consumers to buy insurance, something the U.S. Supreme Court is now considering, with a decision expected in June.

Nevertheless, the Petaluma Health Care District is moving ahead with the assumption that the law, or at least parts of it, will be implemented and is hosting a community forum to discuss what that means for both practitioners and consumers.

On Thursday, May 3, they are inviting a regional Director of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Herb Schultz, to discuss how the Affordable Care Act would be integrated in California, which is already actively implementing provisions of the law. 

State and local healthcare officials say the law provides an unprecedented opportunity for Sonoma County to accomplish many of the dreams it has had for improving health care in the county. 

“Health care reform is underway in California because the current cost of health care is unsustainable and our health care delivery system is broken,” says Ramona Faith, Chief Executive Officer at the Petaluma Health Care District, which runs Petaluma Valley Hospital along with health education and training programs. 

“It’s time for all of us, families, providers, educators, employers, and insurers to seize this moment and get involved with taking this effort as far as we can to improve the health of the residents of Sonoma County.” 

The community forum on the Affordable Healthcare Act will be held Thursday, May 3 at 6pm at the Lucchesi Community Center, 320 N. McDowell Blvd.