For the latest published product coming out of the Atlas Learning Project, we enlisted the help of journalist Michael Booth to ask select funders and advocates what they would do differently to prepare for advocacy efforts once the Affordable Care Act passed into law.
How would they have better supported advocates for the long fights that now ensnare most any policy debate? What would they do differently if they knew then what they know now? And what lessons can foundations draw on for the ongoing policy battles of today and tomorrow?
More than six years after the passage of the ACA, these questions are no less relevant. Despite historic progress in reducing the number of uninsured people, the ACA faces continued challenges that risk it being cannibalized by the toxic, hyper-partisan environment where policy decisions are now debated. And the ACA is not alone - on any major policy issue, resolution does not come simply from a legislative win or a court ruling. There is seldom a beginning and end to these debate. Finish lines are elusive. So what role can foundations play in preparing themselves and equipping advocates for these challenges?
Find out what we learned.
Check out the full article on the Health Affairs Blog.