UW Medicine Pulse Ep1306: The Affordable Care Act

The start of 2014 kicked off the biggest change in the history of healthcare since the passage of Medicare in 1965. Besides allowing people all over the country to have access to insurance, it’s changed virtually every aspect of care in our country. It has been a bumpy ride to get the Affordable Care Act passed, and not just in the public sphere where the topic has been debated over and over again, but also in hospitals, emergency rooms, and healthcare clinics where the changes will be implemented on the ground floor. This week on the program, we talk with Jennifer DeYoung, a policy analyst for King County who walks us through the insurance portion of these changes and what to expect if you are one of the millions of people who has the opportunity to sign up for the first time. We also meet Dr. Peter McGough, the Director for UW Neighborhood clinics, who explains how the new policy affects patients, doctors, and the quality of healthcare, from here and beyond. #ObamaCare