341 - 350 of 444 Results

  • Improving the Affordability of Coverage through the Basic Health Program in Minnesota and New York

    Issue Brief

    To date, Minnesota and New York are the only states to have adopted a Basic Health Program (BHP), an option in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that permits state-administered coverage in lieu of marketplace coverage for those with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) who would otherwise qualify for marketplace subsidies. BHP covers adults with incomes between 138-200% of FPL and lawfully present non-citizens with incomes below 138% FPL whose immigration status makes them ineligible for Medicaid. This brief reviews Minnesota’s and New York’s approaches to BHP and assesses BHP’s impact on consumers, marketplaces, and state costs. Although there is uncertainty around the future of the ACA (including BHP) following the 2016 election, BHP implementation offers important lessons for consideration in future reforms about structuring coverage programs for low-income uninsured consumers.

  • Analysis: Individual Market Insurers Experienced Their Best Financial Year under the ACA in 2017, Though Subsequent Political and Policy Changes Complicate the Outlook for Future Years

    News Release

    Insurers in 2017 had their best financial year selling individual market health insurance since the Affordable Care Act began requiring guaranteed access to coverage for people with pre-existing conditions in 2014, though recent political and policy changes create new challenges for insurers trying to succeed in this market, new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds.

  • The Next Big Debate in Health Care

    From Drew Altman

    In this Wall Street Journal Think Tank column, Drew Altman discusses why adequacy of health coverage will rise as an issue when
    the political world moves on from its focus on the Affordable Care Act.

  • Obamacare? Zika? Which Health Stories Americans Actually Follow

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman analyzes the Kaiser Health Policy News Index to determine which health stories in the news have broken through to the public the most in the last year. One conclusion: it wasn't the Affordable Care Act.

  • Amid Primary Debate about Universal Coverage, Most Democrats Now Want to Expand the Affordable Care Act, Leading to Somewhat Less Favorable Views of the Law Itself

    News Release

    Voters Rank Health Care Fourth As Issue for Presidential Candidates to Discuss With the Democratic presidential primary featuring a debate about how to get to universal health coverage in the United States, the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds most Democrats want Congress to expand the Affordable Care Act, contributing to a widening gap between…

  • Clinton-Sanders Contest Fuels Democratic Support for Expanding Obamacare

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses how the debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders about how to get to universal coverage has generated more support among Democrats for expanding the Affordable Care Act (and less support for the law as is).

  • What Paul Ryan’s Stance on 2016 Means for Health Care

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the implications of Paul Ryan’s decision to rule out being drafted as a Republican presidential candidate for the 2017 health care agenda and how it could focus greater attention on proposals to change Medicare and Medicaid along with the Affordable Care Act.

  • Overview of Medicaid Per Capita Cap Proposals

    Issue Brief

    The House Republican Plan (“A Better Way”) released on June 22, 2016, includes a proposal to convert federal Medicaid financing from an open-ended entitlement to a per capita allotment or a block grant (based on a state choice). This proposal is part of a larger package designed to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and reduce federal spending for health care. Often tied to deficit reduction, proposals to convert Medicaid’s financing structure to a per capita cap or block grant have been proposed before. Such changes represent a fundamental change in the financing structure of the program with major implications for beneficiaries, providers, states and localities. Key things to understand about a per capita cap include the following: how a per capita cap works, key design challenges, and implications of a per capita cap.