Over the last 10 years, the cost of family health insurance has jumped an amazing 131 percent and today coverage is out of reach for millions of people and business owners. The Affordable Care Act was passed last year to address this critical problem. Starting September 1, large rate increases proposed by insurers in every State will be reviewed by independent experts to guarantee the increase is reasonable and warranted. This process, called “rate review,” will require insurance companies to justify increases of 10 percent or more in the first year, and insurers will be required to publish those explanations on their website.

As we continue to build the Partnership for Patients, we have reached out to every sector of the health care delivery system. Each and every stakeholder has asked the same question: “How can we help?” This has been reflected in the more than 1,500 hospitals that have joined the Partnership bringing the total number of Partners to more than 3,000.