Looking forward: Detailing the health law's next policy steps

In addition to timelines, explainers and answers, media outlets have detailed various developments, ranging from New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner's interest in seeking a health law waiver for New York City to GOP-backed transparency proposals.

Reuters: Basic Provisions, Timeline For U.S. Health Law
Many deadlines for implementing the law championed by President Barack Obama to expand health insurance to roughly 30 million Americans are fast approaching. Charged with establishing many key health programs, states have been sent into overdrive to meet these deadlines, some of which had already passed by the time the measure was signed into law a year ago because of the drawn-out process Congress used to approve it (3/23).

California Healthline: Overlooked but Not Forgotten: Three Lesser-Known Reforms
Most recent coverage of PPACA continues to focus on the same core issues: the law's sweeping changes to health coverage and the delivery system, how states are responding to new rules and the overhaul's constitutionality. However, PPACA's sheer scope has ensured that — even a year later — there are some reforms that have been overlooked. Here are three changes that you may have missed: 1.) Investments in Public Health ... 2.) How ACOs Could Improve Behavioral Health ... 3.) Shifts — and Still-Open Questions — in Biologic Regulations (Diamond, 3/23).

PBS NewsHour: Health Care Reform: You Asked, We Found Answers
Susan Dentzer, editor of Health Affairs and frequent NewsHour analyst, and Michelle Andrews, consumer columnist for Kaiser Health News, answered your questions about how the law will affect consumers. For some questions, we got answers from two analysts on different sides of the debate over reform. Len Nichols is a health care economist at George Mason University and former head of the health policy program at the New America Foundation, which supports health care reform. And Ed Haislmaier is a senior research fellow in Health Policy Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation (Winerman, 3/23).

Politico: Anthony Weiner: Waiver Might Work For New York
Rep. Anthony Weiner said Wednesday he was looking into how a health law waiver might work for New York City. Weiner, who is likely to run for mayor of New York, said that because of the city's special health care infrastructure, his office was looking into alternatives that might make more sense (Nocera, 3/23).

The Hill: Republicans Highlight Health Reform Transparency Bill
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) marked the one-year anniversary of the health care reform law Wednesday by drawing attention to their bill requiring the Obama administration to publish more information about controversial waivers. The legislation, which was actually introduced last week, would require the Department of Health and Human Services to publish the secretary's determination for each waiver request and the reason for her decision (Pecquet, 3/23).

The Washington Post: Denied Insurance Under New Health-Care Law? File An Appeal, GAO Says
[L]et me refer you to a recent report on private health insurance denials, a study that was required after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted. That's the health care legislation that has been pejoratively nicknamed Obamacare. Nonetheless, it's because of this law and the resulting GAO follow-up that we received a great piece of advice for people covered by private health insurance. If you are denied coverage, file an appeal. ... In looking at data from four states, the GAO found that 39 percent to 59 percent of appeals filed with insurers in those states resulted in the insurer reversing its coverage denial (Michelle Singletary, 3/23).