Sunday, July 1, 2012

Week 4

June 25-July 1, 12'

It was a very interesting week.... The Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a number of deadlines at work, beautiful weather (with the exception of last night) and a number of exciting briefings, panel discussions, networking events, etc. This next week promises to be another amazing week--with a number of items on the docket at work and visitors coming to town later in the week! 

One thing that really stood out to me in terms of the Supreme Court ruling on the ACA was being able to experience the immediate reactions of individuals who have been fighting for years for consumer rights (specifically seniors in my case at the NCOA). The anxiety leading up to the decision and the excitement co-workers expressed afterwards were both memorable experiences. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact this ruling has on our country in the years to come. Will it drive down costs (as promised) or will it add billions to our already ridiculous debt in this country? Many attorneys I have spoken with say it is bad policy (regardless of which side of the fence one stands on). There are so many variables involved that it makes for a difficult fix regardless.... I would be interested in hearing what others in the health care areana have to say about the decision and what might follow.

There are so many opportunities for growth and professional development here in Washington DC! There simply is not enough time. I feel like it was just yesterday that I arrived.... and now as I look at the calendar, this internship experience will be half way complete after this coming week. Crazy! I look forward to taking advantage of any and every opportunity for networking and personal growth during the remaining time. My roommate recently brought up a great idea, learning sign language (or at least becoming introduced to it during our remaining time left). I like it! If anyone else comes accross an interesting opportunity, I would be more than willing to join in the fun. 

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