More than a decade after its enactment, tens of millions of people nationwide rely on coverage options created through the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). The law has survived multiple court challeges at the U.S. Supreme Court and repeated attempts by Republicans in Congress to repeal it. Subsequent legislation has scaled back some aspects of the law and expanded others, including by the COVID-19 relief bill, the American Response Plan Act of 2021. This page highlights relevant analysis about the ACA and proposed and enacted changes to it..
For information about ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment, including fact sheets and 300+ FAQs, visit our collection of resources on Understanding Health Insurance.
Featured Affordable Care Act Resources
Nov 23, 2021
A summary of 10 of the major health coverage and financing provisions of the current Build Back Better Act, with discussion of the potential implications for people and the federal budget.
Related Affordable Care Act Resources
Sep 24, 2021
In this Policy Watch we explore the potential impact of the expiration of the American Rescue Plan Act’s enhanced financial help and new eligibility for the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance Marketplace federal subsidies. While the COVID-19 relief legislation passed earlier this year provides greater subsidy assistance through 2022, Democrats in Congress are currently considering making the temporary federal help permanent or extending it as part of their planned budget reconciliation legislation.
March 5, 2013 Issue Brief
To inform the development of the state health insurance Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, this checklist identifies key coverage, affordability and access issues that are important for women. Based on lessons learned from women’s health research and the Massachusetts experience, the checklist considers essential health benefits, implementation of no-cost preventive services including contraception, provider networks and affordability, outreach and enrollment efforts, and the importance of including gender and other demographic characteristics in data collection and reporting standards.
May 8, 2013 Perspective
Larry Levitt’s latest post on ACA implementation is now available on the JAMA Forum.
April 18, 2013 Fact Sheet
A central goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to significantly reduce the number of uninsured by providing a continuum of affordable coverage options through Medicaid and new Health Insurance Exchanges. Following the June 2012 Supreme Court decision, states face a decision about whether to adopt…
January 26, 2012 Perspective
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear legal challenges to the health reform law in March, the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll shows that most Americans (59 percent) expect the Justices to base their ruling on their own ideological views rather than their interpretation of the law (28 percent). As for…
July 2, 2012 Perspective
Following last week’s Supreme Court’s decision upholding the heart of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a majority of Americans (56 percent) now say they would like to see the law’s detractors stop their efforts to block its implementation and move on to other national problems. In the first of two…
December 20, 2012 Report
Related ResourcesStudy Highlights Role of Geography and Plan Shopping Under Medicare Premium Support SystemMedicare Part D: A First Look at Part D Plan Offerings in 2013The Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit – An Updated Fact SheetOnline Consumer Guide to Medicare The latest Visualizing Health Policy infographic is a flowchart illustrating the mechanisms…
April 1, 2011 Issue Brief
This paper examines the salient issues raised in a November 2010 roundtable discussion of national and state experts convened by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, in partnership with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, to discuss Medicaid policy options available under health reform to help meet…
May 30, 2011 Issue Brief
This issue brief identifies the major provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that are designed to improve care and streamline service delivery for dual eligibles, the millions of low-income seniors and younger persons with disabilities who are enrolled in both the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Dual…
June 7, 2016 Perspective
Drew Altman discusses Republican and Democratic health reform objectives, and why GOP proposals and the Affordable Care Act are better understood as policies with very different goals, trade-offs and consequences.
June 30, 2016 Perspective
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.
