Empowering and Protecting Consumers: ERISA Thwarts State Innovation
As the national debate over the ACA continues, this publication looks at why Congress needs to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to assure consumers and payers have the information they need to make health purchasing decisions. The considerable discussion of increasing consumer engagement, in part by expanding the use of health savings accounts and high deductible health plans as strategies to provide consumers more choices and to reduce health care costs, requires informed consumers and payers.
States have pursued an array of policies to improve transparency in health care. While transparency laws are not a silver bullet to reign in health care costs, they are necessary components for consumer protection and for states to understand their own health care markets. Despite robust and valuable state innovation in health care transparency, ERISA often prevents these state laws from meeting their full potential. This publication is the latest in a series that puts a state lens on emerging proposals in the ACA repeal and replace debate.
Support for this work was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
