On June 17, the Commonwealth Fund released a report examining the impact of the national health care reform law on the U.S. health care system.  The report outlines the law's major provisions, examines who benefits most from the law, and explains how the law begins to transition the U.S. health care system toward patient-centered care.  The author also explores the challenges that must be addressed for the law to be successful in achieving its goals.

From the report: The Affordable Care Act will usher in a new era in American health care—one in which every American has access to affordable health insurance coverage and no one is turned away simply because they have a preexisting condition. The new insurance market pro­tections set to take effect in this and subsequent years are designed to work in concert with important pay­ment and system reforms that will improve access and quality and reduce cost growth for everyone. Reform is a historic victory for all Americans. But it will require the efforts of all stakeholders to make the promise a reality.

Full report: A New Era in American Health Care: Realizing the Potential of Reform (PDF | 3.51 MB) 

Commonwealth Fund.  (2010).  A new era in American health care: realizing the potential of reform.  Davis, K.