Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues
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.
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.
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.
In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman explains that Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam’s decision on Medicaid expansion via the Affordable Care Act is the latest sign of pragmatism slowly winning over ideology in red states.
As states wrap up legislative sessions and make decisions about whether to implement the Medicaid expansion included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), this new analysis highlights the implications of these decisions for coverage, state budgets and providers. The decisions by as many as 27 states not to adopt the Medicaid expansion will leave a many more uninsured; these states would also forgo billions in federal funds.
In March 2013, the Kaiser Family Foundation convened key HIV/AIDS stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds to explore opportunities for maximizing the beneficial impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for people living with HIV and examine strategies to help them navigate the transition to new health coverage. This report summarizes the information shared and key issues discussed at the meeting.
Based on a review of publicly available materials as of September 2013, this brief provides an examination of the Marketplace branding strategies, websites, and marketing materials, providing insight into how consumers will be introduced to the Marketplaces and some of the key messages and approaches the Marketplaces will utilize to encourage individuals to enroll. As of September 2013, states and the federal government are on the eve of their October 1st launch of open enrollment for the new Health Insurance Marketplaces, where consumers will be able to shop for and purchase private coverage and potentially receive subsidies to lower the cost of that coverage. Achieving adequate enrollment through these Marketplaces will be important for fulfilling the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) goal of reducing the nation’s uninsured rate. Moreover, sufficient enrollment, particularly among younger and healthy individuals, will be important for ensuring the financial sustainability of the Marketplaces over time. Recognizing the importance of enrollment, the federal government and the 17 states operating State-based Marketplaces have invested resources and conducted extensive consumer research to inform the branding and marketing campaigns for their Marketplaces.
This brief provides an overview of Section 1115 waiver authority, describes major provisions of waivers that extend coverage to childless adults, and identifies key issues and implications of these waivers looking forward to the Affordable Care Act and beyond.
This short explainer highlights some of the key information for people with Medicare about how Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, may affect them.
This report provides an overview of Medicaid financing and Medicaid spending and enrollment growth with a focus on state fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY 2014 and FY 2015.) Findings are based on interviews and data provided by state Medicaid directors as part of the 14th annual survey of Medicaid directors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia conducted by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) survey with Health Management Associates (HMA). Findings examine changes in overall enrollment and spending growth and also look at expansion versus non-expansion states.
The Affordable Care Act does not require businesses to provide health benefits to their workers, but applicable large employers may face penalties if they don’t make affordable coverage available. The employer shared responsibility provision of the Affordable Care Act penalizes employers who either do not offer coverage or do not offer coverage that meets minimum value and affordability standards. These penalties apply to firms with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees. This flowchart illustrates how those employer responsibilities work.
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.
Larry Levitt’s latest post on ACA implementation is now available on the JAMA Forum.
