Symposia & Meetings

UMBC Fall Colloquium

Health Reform:
Implementing Insurance Coverage Expansion

October 26, 2012

Since 2010, when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed, The Hilltop Institute at UMBC has provided support to Maryland and New Mexico as these states implement the federal health reform legislation. Hilltop provided extensive staff support, research, and analysis for the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council. Hilltop developed a financial model, the Hilltop Health Care Reform Simulation Model, to project a state’s costs and savings associated with implementing health reform, and has applied the model to Maryland and New Mexico. Hilltop continues to support Maryland’s health reform implementation by providing consultation and technical assistance to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange.

On Friday, October 26, 2012, Hilltop held a colloquium for UMBC faculty, staff, and students, on the policy and financial structure of health insurance reform, as well as the status of its implementation nationally and in Maryland.

The program consisted of an overview of the ACA, with particular attention to the insurance reform and financing aspects of the law. Following the overview, two detailed sessions were conducted focusing on the structure and purpose of Exchanges and the financing of health reform. These sessions, open to all students and faculty, were followed by an invitational lunch for faculty and staff. The luncheon speaker was Rebecca Pierce, Executive Director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange.