Grand Valley alumna explains health care insurance reform

Grand Valley alumna Dinah Dittman spoke to a group of several dozen nonprofit leaders about the impact the Affordable Care Act will have on their constituents at a presentation held by Grand Valley’s Johnson Center for Philanthropy.

Dittman is the national director of community engagement and philanthropy at Kaiser Permanente in California.  

The free program drew a diverse crowd, including educators, health care providers, nonprofit managers, case workers and social workers, among others.  

“I think people should be informed of what the facts are so they can work in collaboration with insurance companies and providers and state departments of community health and public health so they can determine how to create more access at the community level,” Dittman said.  

The presentation was intended to educate nonprofit practitioners on the basic structure of the Affordable Care Act so they can educate their constituents who may be eligible for health insurance coverage under the new reforms.

Dittman said information was key to her presentation, as a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation (not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente) showed less than 25 percent of respondents to a survey could correctly identify what the act would or would not do.

“I’m encouraged to see that so many people are interested and involved, and want to do work that benefits the broader community,” Dittman said.  

For more information on the Affordable Care Act, visit healthcare.gov.