Tuesday evening a panel discussion was held at the Howard H. Baker, Jr. Center for Public Policy to address the new health care reform law. 

The event was an opportunity for the community to have the law clarified and to ask questions of the panelists, Dr. Carole Myers, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at UT and Fellow for Health Policy at the Baker Center and Beth Uselton, Lead Organizer for the Tennessee Health Care Campaign. 

"The new health care law is not as radical as many claim... I truly think people yearn for unbiased information, information that is not politicized," Myers said.

The goal of the discussion was to increase awareness of the new law's impact on individuals and groups.

The act, officially known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was signed into law on March 23. Its major goals include insurance coverage for most Americans, more affordable and better quality care for everyone, and guaranteed issue and renewability of insurance. The panelists addressed different parts of the act, then specific changes for five groups: people with employer-sponsored insurance, those on Medicaid, those on Medicare, the uninsured and employees of small businesses.

The new health care law is not as radical as many claim.Carole Myers, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing.

Many parts of the law will take effect gradually, but one of the immediate changes will effect college students. With the implementation of this law, young adults can remain on their parents' insurance plan until age 26. People between the ages of 19 and 26, often called the "young invincibles" are one of the largest uninsured groups. However, they also tend to be healthy, therefore having them in the "risk group"-- the pool of people on a particular insurance plan-- drives down costs for everyone. 

This supports what Myers believes is the most beneficial part of the law for all Americans: "that the majority of uninsured Americans will have access to affordable health care."

With the new law, 650,000 Tennesseans will be newly eligible for Medicaid coverage. Questions were raised at the discussion about the possibility of costs actually rising as so many formerly uninsured Americans enter the "risk group." This is a continuing concern, to which no comprehensive solution has been found. 

"The law only provides a framework... the details are still being determined and then they must be implemented," Myers said.  "However, this provides more opportunities for citizens to provide input."

Another concern for many is the unprecedented mandate that all Americans must have insurance coverage between 2014-2016, unless they are specifically exempt for financial or religious reasons. However, the law does seek to make this easier by providing subsidies to families at a certain poverty level and establishing insurance "exchanges" to make plans easier to find and more competitive.

Most of the major changes, especially for the uninsured, won't take effect until 2014. Already in effect, are mandates stating that insurers can't take away coverage because of specific medical conditions or claims, or reduce coverage for children because of a pre-existing medical conditions. The same rule will take effect gradually for adults over the next four years.

The law only provides a framework... the details are still being determined and then they must be implemented. Carole Myers

Other questions addressed include changes in Medicare. All Medicare benefits will remain in place. The only changes will occur in the Medicare Advantage program. Additionally, people with employer-sponsored insurance will be allowed to keep their current plans if they are satisfied with them.

Ultimately, Myers hopes that audience-members left the event with information about the bill and a sense of how the bill will affect them. 

"I hope forum participants appreciate the opportunity we have to come together and talk about something that is very personal and important for our country in so many ways," Myers said.