Public invited to learn more about future of obamacare through free, online U-M teach-out

As a new House-approved bill to replace Obamacare moves on to the Senate, faculty at the University of Michigan School of Public Health invite the public to participate in an online learning opportunity focused on what’s at stake.

IHPI member Rich Hirth, chair of the Department of Health Management and Policy, and colleagues will conduct a May 12 teach-out, “The Future of Obamacare: Repeal, Repair, or Replace?”

Teach-outs are free learning opportunities on the edX platform that allow participants to go online over a weekend to learn at their own pace about a timely issue.

In the teach-out, Hirth and colleagues plan to address the economic, legal and public health implications of potential changes to the plan the nation has come to know as Obamacare.

“We think that citizens interested in becoming more knowledgeable and more engaged in this issue and the legislative process will benefit from the teach-out, develop a greater understanding of the facts and the tradeoffs, and be interested to learn some of the tools that they can use to try to influence the legislative process,” he said.

And while discussions about changing this aspect of the act have created much concern, Hirth says there are other elements of Obamacare that seldom receive headlines but would have great impact on the health care industry and, ultimately, patient care. These include value-based reforms and public health programs.