WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare and the topic of the National Council on Disability (NCD)'s latest report, is one of the most sweeping and significant pieces of domestic legislation enacted in generations.
Released today, "The Impact of the Affordable Care Act: A 2015 Status Report" is the second in a series of three reports on ACA that NCD is releasing in the next month, each considering a different aspect of ACA's implementation, impact, or ongoing enforcement. The first report focused on the implementation of the ACA was released January 19, and the third on monitoring and enforcement will be released February 2. All reports will be available on the NCD website.
In today's release of the "Impact of the Affordable Care Act" report, NCD explores how ACA's changes to the nation's health care system are affecting Americans with disabilities by utilizing a formal literature review, interviews with key informants in ten diverse states, and a 50-state review of state policies involving key ACA provisions.
"For people with disabilities and their families, the quality, availability, and types of health care and long term services available to a person can have profound consequence on many other areas of life, including where one lives and how one pursues or maintains employment," said NCD Chair Clyde Terry. "Although ACA is still in its infancy, NCD is grateful for the opportunity to provide a snapshot on the impact ACA has had on people with disabilities to date."
NCD appreciates the assistance of the Urban Institute's Health Policy Center, who worked collaboratively with NCD in preparing this series of reports.
The "Impact of the Affordable Care Act" and the other reports in the ACA series will all be available on NCD's website. Full report available at: http://www.ncd.gov/publications/2016/impact-affordable-care-act-people-disabilities-2015-status-report
About the National Council on Disability (NCD): First established as an advisory body within the Department of Education in 1978, NCD became an independent federal agency in 1984. In 1986, NCD recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and drafted the first version of the bill which was introduced in the House and Senate in 1988. Since enactment of the ADA in 1990, NCD has continued to play a leading role in crafting disability policy, and advising the President, Congress and other federal agencies on disability policies, programs, and practices.