Media Advisory: UNH Experts Available to Discuss Supreme Court Ruling on Affordable Care Act

Monday, June 25, 2012

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DURHAM, N.H. - Three experts from the University of New Hampshire are available to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act, including its political repercussions on the presidential race and its impact on health care delivery and policy in America.

Ned Helms, director of the Institute for Health Policy and Practice at UNH and a presidential appointee to the National Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, which is part of the Affordable Care Act
Helms has more than 30 years of experience in New Hampshire health policy and politics. His experience spans the health policy field and includes serving as a legislative and administrative assistant for health policy within the U.S. Senate, commissioner of the state Department of Health and Human Services, founder and president of a health policy consulting firm (Helms and Company), and chief administrative officer of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Hampshire.

Email: nedhelms3@aol.com
Cell phone: 603-731-5561
Photo: http://www.unh.edu/universityevents/speakersbureau/images/helms_new.jpg 

"Passage of the Affordable Care Act was a watershed event for our country," Helms said. "After 50 years and efforts by both parties to have health coverage extended to all our citizens and make meaningful steps to assuring the health of our citizens, something that every industrial country on the face of the earth has done, it is sad that it has become a political lightning rod. Regardless of the Supreme Court decision the urgency to reform a health system that consumes 20 percent of our GDP and still leaves hundreds of thousands without good health or health care will remain," Helms said.

Dante Scala, associate professor of political science
Scala is a nationally recognized expert on presidential primary politics and regularly provides context and expertise for national and regional news media. His other areas of expertise include American campaigns and elections, the presidential nominating process, state and local government, American political development and politics, in general. 

Email: dante.scala@unh.edu
Cell phone: 603-540-4018
Blog: http://graniteprof.typepad.com/
Photo: /unhtoday/sites/default/files/newsroom/img/Dante_Scala.jpg

According to Scala, if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against the Affordable Care Act, "then things get interesting. Do Obama and the Democrats just let it go? Or does Obama accuse the court of acting politically, not judicially, and point out the popular benefits of the health care law, and try to put responsibility for losing them onto the Republicans?"

Andrew Smith, associate professor of political science and director of the UNH Survey Center
Smith is a nationally recognized expert on presidential elections, primary politics and political polls. He can discuss the latest public opinion/polling trends.

Email: andrew.smith@unh.edu
Cell phone: 603-343-7732
Web site: http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/
Photo: /unhtoday/sites/default/files/newsroom/img/Andy_Smith.jpg

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

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