Supporting State Policymakers’ Implementation of Federal Health Reform

States will have enormous short-term and long-term needs for assistance as they grapple with federal health reform legislation.  Significant federal and private resources to support state-level implementation will be necessary.  Implementation support must be defined and coordinated quickly.  Technical assistance must be provided in a manner that corresponds with state needs. State officials should be involved in the design of technical assistance so that it is most effective given varied state circumstances, needs, and capacities. Technical assistance should inspire innovation among leaders even as it helps all states meet minimum standards of performance.