With its ruling released on June 28th, the Supreme Court has, absent an unexpected legislative repeal, cemented the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into U.S. law. Now that the judicial challenges have run their course, there is some clarity around the impacts this law will create.

In the short term, I view this development as moderately positive for the health Insurance industry and perhaps even stimulative for the health insurance labor market. Over the past several months, as the uncertainty around the Supreme Court decision grew, I have seen countless health insurance decision makers put developmental projects on hold until some clarity emerged.

Last year’s America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (also known as the PPACA) is slowly beginning to impact the marketplace. I have argued since I began this blog that the approach that was eventually passed into law was misguided as it did not address the root causes of the true primary issue: healthcare cost escalation. Now we are seeing unintended consequences of this misguided effort. Attacks on the insurance industry are simply driving players from market segments and will thus change the market in a very negative manner from the perspective of the consumer.

Early last year, as the presidential primary election campaigns heated up, we began to hear the details of the various healthcare proposals put forth by the different candidates. While they varied in approach, structure and cost, they all were focused around a few principle objectives:

1. Slow Down Cost Growth

2. Expand Coverage

3. Improve Outcomes

These objectives have not changed. I would like to take a minute to delve into each of these objectives, so we understand the issues that each attempts to ameliorate.