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The Impacts of the Affordable Care Act on Preparedness Resources and Programs
IOM Workshop Summary

Many of the elements of the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2014, and with the establishment of many new rules and regulations, there will continue to be significant changes to the U.S. health care system.

It is unclear what impact these changes will have on medical and public health preparedness programs around the country. There is a commonly held notion that disaster preparedness is separate and distinct from everyday operations, and that it only affects emergency departments. However, catastrophic events can challenge the entire health care and public health spectrum.

The implementation of the ACA provides an opportunity to consider how to better incorporate preparedness into all aspects of the evolving health care system and daily delivery of care.

On November 18-19, 2013, the IOM Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events held a workshop to discuss how changes to the health system as a result of the ACA might impact medical and public health preparedness programs across the nation.