Pat Dollard

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Politico:

Supporters and opponents of health reform continue to duke it out ahead of next week’s expected final House vote, but both sides are already laying the groundwork to effectively implement reform should it pass.

Families USA executive director Ron Pollack has chartered a non-profit group, tentatively named Enroll America, that would create a major, nationwide operation to ensure that people newly eligible for Medicaid and insurance subsidies are able to easily apply and receive those benefits. The plan, of course, is contingent upon reform passing.

Pollack said he has reached out to reform supporters like PhRMA and hospitals and opponents such as America’s Health Insurance Plans and Blue Cross Blue Shield and found them all interested in participating.

“This is a perfect example of how altruism and good business sense are in the exact same place,” Pollack said, adding that drug makers, hospitals and insurers will want to make up for reform’s lower payment rates by increasing their customer base.

Several interest groups and foundations have already committed several hundred thousand dollars to pay the consulting firm McKinsey and Company to develop a business plan that Pollack believes will provide data on why achieving broad enrollment makes smart business sense.

The non-profit would raise and spend tens of millions of dollars annually to create the most robust enrollment systems possible. Pollack envisions creating 50 state-based consortia that include local drug makers, insurance companies, hospitals, medical associations and consumer groups dedicated to maximizing their state’s enrollment levels. A small national office would coordinate with the state-based groups to provide best practices and technical assistance.

The work would include making sure people don’t have to take a day off work to enroll and creating an easy-to-complete application that could be filed to one website regardless of the benefit being requested.

The non-profit would ensure that people could apply for benefits in neighborhood pharmacies and doctors’ offices. And it would make it easy for people who are already eligible for government assistance, be it food stamps or help paying their heating bills, to enroll for health benefits, Pollack said.

The non-profit would also work with government agencies tasked with developing the application rules and guidelines to make them as enrollment friendly as possible.

Pollack said he wrote a concept paper a few months ago and began soliciting companies and interest groups and found “enormous enthusiasm” for the idea. In January, he brought together 30 enrollment experts from across the country to discuss how to create the best system possible.

“There’s a lot of thought being given to how to make this work once health reform passes,” Pollack said. “Assuming health reform legislation passes, we want to do everything possible to make it work and we want to get as broad cooperation as possible. And given the scope of this, we think there will be no group, irrespective of their position on reform, that won’t contribute significantly.”