SPOTLIGHT: THE CHALLENGES AHEADAs implementation of the new health reform law begins, federal officials face a host of challenges, according to observers. First, because the new reform law calls for several federal agencies to define many of the law's components, many special-interest have begun working to influence provisions of the law not yet finalized. Meanwhile, the expansion of Medicaid poses several hurdles, as many physicians currently refuse to accept Medicaid patients because the program's reimbursement rates are below that of private insurers and Medicare. Providers who do accept Medicaid patients likely will face a greater strain as more U.S. residents join the program. Further, one component of the new reform law that Democrats recently touted as an immediate benefit -- allowing roughly 485,000 young adults to remain on their parents' insurance plans until age 26 -- has run into troubles because many plans offered by large employees will not begin to offer coverage to such young adults until 2011.
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