Delaware leaders still digesting health care reform vote

Now that health care reform has been approved in Washington, Governor Markell and other state leaders are examining exactly how to accomplish what the measure calls for in Delaware.

Governor Jack Markell says Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services along with the state’s medical community are now examining what was approved by Congress Sunday night.   Markell says it’s important to understand the exact implications of the measure so that, “In the end, just about every Delawarean gets the coverage they deserve.”

He says he’s heard from hundreds of state residents over the last year, hoping that something would be done to provide better access to health care.  “They all felt like something had to be done.  So, I think it’s good that something was done, and now, we’ve really got to figure out how we make it happen in Delaware.”

Delaware Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart called the bill’s approval a major step towards lowering costs and improving care.  She says, “The bill recognizes that state insurance regulators are best equipped to educate consumers, field complaints, and regulate health insurers. It also wisely places on the states the responsibility of implementing the reforms to ensure their long term success while envisioning significant flexibility for states to tailor the new system to their marketplace.”  She says there’s a lot of work to do on the state level to accomplish the major changes by the 2014 deadline.