Health reform and its aftermath

The Patient Protection and Affordability Act, H.R. 3509, that was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010 might just as easily have been subtitled the "Attorneys, Accountants, Lobbyists, and Public Relations Personnel Relief Act of 2010." As components of the law unfold over the next decade, thousands of pages of regulations must be written to explain how to implement the various provisions in the 906-page engrossed version of this legislation. Key segments of the health care industry in the form of practitioners, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device companies, and academic institutions with programs in the health sciences will be affected in diverse ways. History being a reliable guide, it is safe to posit that these entities will respond in the usual manner by employing armies of lobbyists, public relations specialists, and attorneys to enhance the likelihood that the ensuing regulatory environment will not be too inimical to their respective interests.