ANN ARBOR, Mich. - This Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of some, or all, of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act -- the health care reform law enacted in 2010 that has already started taking effect.

Although the full implications of the ruling will take time to understand, UMHS experts are available to assist journalists in covering this issue before and immediately after the ruling, as well as in coming weeks.

They include:

• A. Mark Fendrick, M.D., professor in the department of Internal Medicine and Health Management and Policy and co-director of the U-M Center for Value-Based Insurance Design, is an authority on the clinical and economic assessment of medical interventions, with special attention to how technological innovation influences clinical practice, benefit design, and health care systems. Fendrick serves on the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee.
   
• David Spahlinger, M.D., senior associate dean for Clinical Affairs and executive director of the Faculty Group Practice at the U-M Medical School, can address the potential impact on academic medical centers, hospitals and physician practice groups. He is a leader in the development of the national Accountable Care Organization framework and of U-M's own ACO. The U-M Health System, through its Faculty Group Practice under his leadership, took part in a Medicare demonstration project that was the forerunner of the ACO program that seeks to contain Medicare cost growth and improve patient care under ACA. 
   
• Marianne Udow-Phillips, lecturer at the U-M School of Public Health and director of the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation, a nonprofit partnership between the U-M Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, can discuss public and private health insurance markets and coverage. Her expertise is in health care access, coverage, quality and efficiency issues.

UMHS will also post an official statement on the implications of the ruling for our operations after the Supreme Court hands down its decision. That will be available via www.UofMHealth.org/news .

The U-M News Service is also offering the expertise of faculty in the U-M School of Public Health, Law School and other areas - seehttp://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/21-advisories/20603-u-m-experts-available-to-discuss-health-care-reform-2012-06 for a list.