For years, Americans have struggled with a health insurance system that was opaque, unnecessarily confusing, and often overwhelming to navigate. Our goal as we implement this law is to be the opposite of that - to be as clear and transparent as possible. As soon as we know something, we're going to tell you.

But ultimately, we recognize that actions speak louder than words. No matter how good a job we do educating Americans about the benefits for them in the bill, it won't be much use unless we also implement those policies responsibly and effectively. As the President has said many times, we need to get this right. And as the letters I get every day make clear, we have no time to waste.

So in the week since President Obama signed this law, we're already acting. We've restructured the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services so that it's better prepared to take on its new responsibilities under health insurance reform. Last Friday, we began working with states to create a new high risk pool program that will help uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions get coverage. Today, we will send new guidance to Medicare Advantage plans, which includes stronger cost sharing protections for seniors. And later this week, we'll open new Medicaid options to cover low-income adults.

Unfortunately, scam artists have been moving just as quickly. We've already heard reports crooks trying to capitalize on this new law by setting up 1-800 numbers and going door to door trying to sell fraudulent insurance policies. This kind of criminal activity which preys on the Americans who are most vulnerable in our health care system is outrageous. That's why I sent letters today to State Insurance Commissioners and Attorney Generals asking them to investigate and prosecute these scams.

This kind of communication and collaboration will be the key to making this law work for Americans. Over the next few years, we'll be working with providers and employers, consumers and seniors to get this law right.

Many of the key reforms will be carried out by the states. As a former Insurance Commissioner, I know how tough and effective state regulators can be. That's why states will have the option to oversee the development of the insurance exchanges, regulations, and consumer protections. The law provides resources and assistance to states, but when it comes to the specifics, we assume that the people on the ground know best.

As a former Governor, I also understand the budget challenges that states face. And what I've said over and over again is that this is actually a very state friendly bill.

It's true that part of the law makes health care coverage a partnership between the states and the federal government. That expansion starts in 2014. For the following three years, the federal government picks up the entire bill. After that, the states start paying up a share, which rises to ten percent by 2020. So there will be some new costs.

But those costs are balanced by new benefits, including less spending on uncompensated care, savings from reduced insurance paperwork, more resources to cover children, and more money to crack down on fraud and abuse. And that doesn't even count all the people who will get better care, live healthier lives, and be more productive workers. As a Governor, I can say unequivocally that if you had offered my state this deal, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.

At HHS, we'll work closely with the states as the lead federal department for implementing this law. So in closing today, I want to share a few of my operating principles for making sure the full benefits of this law reach the American people.

First, as I said earlier, we will be transparent. That doesn't just mean sharing what we know. It also means making it as convenient as possible for the American people to access that information. For example, today, we're announcing the release of what we call our Medicare dashboard. This is an online tool that will make it much easier for Americans to search and sort aggregate Medicare data with full protections on patient privacy. Today, we're making available Medicare's inpatient hospital spending data, which you'll be able to sort by state, condition, and hospital. But this is just the first step of many we'll be taking to give consumers, purchasers and providers the health information they need to make smarter choices.

Second, we'll make every dollar count. Eliminating waste in our health care system is a key part of this law. It's also a principle we're going to apply to every step of implementation. One of the ways we'll save money is by depending heavily on people and systems that are already in place. Our department already has great talent, resources, and knowledge of the health care system. As we move forward, we're going to rely on these resources as much as possible as we fulfill our new responsibilities under this law.

Third and most important, we will never lose sight of why we pursued this legislation in the first place, fought so hard for it, and are celebrating it as such a historic accomplishment. Over the last year, I've read letter after letter from families and small business owners who feel powerless in the health insurance system we have.

Their premiums go up by 30 or 40 or 50 percent every year and they don't understand why. They'd argue with their insurance company, but they're afraid their coverage will get cancelled. They'd switch to another plan, but many of them have a preexisting condition and know they couldn't get another policy. Even Americans who get good insurance through their job worry. They see more and more of their paycheck being eaten up by rising premiums every year, and they know how quickly the partial security they do have could disappear if they switched jobs or retired.

Our goal is to put these Americans back in charge of their health care. We will provide information and education if it's needed; set basic guidelines that will help foster a competitive insurance market; serve as an umpire to make sure insurance companies treat Americans fairly; and provide targeted resources to help empower consumers. But ultimately, this isn't about us. It's about you. It's about giving Americans more choices, more security, and more control.

There will be bumps along the way. There will be twists and turns. It will not be easy.

But after decades of standing still, we are finally moving forward.

Thank you.

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