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
Potential Costs and Impact of Health Provisions in the Build Back Better Act
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.
Issue Brief See More
Related Affordable Care Act Resources
- 5 Charts About Public Opinion on the Affordable Care Act and the Supreme Court
- A Closer Look at the Uninsured Marketplace Eligible Population Following the American Rescue Plan Act
- Eligibility for ACA Health Coverage Following Job Loss
- Pre-Existing Condition Prevalence for Individuals and Families
- Building on the Evidence Base: Studies on the Effects of Medicaid Expansion, February 2020 to March 2021
- FAQs: Health Insurance Marketplace and the ACA
- Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About Health Insurance Subsidies
- Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions: Interactive Map
- Preventive Services Tracker
- Tracking Section 1332 State Innovation Waivers
How Marketplace Costs and Premiums will Change if Rescue Plan Subsidies Expire
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.
Blog See More
Refine Results
- view as grid
- view as list
JAMA Forum: What Does it Mean to Protect People with Preexisting Conditions?
In this June 2018 post for The JAMA Forum, Larry Levitt examines the potential impact of the Trump Administration’s legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Perspective Read More
The Affordable Care Act’s Enduring Resilience
In this article in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Larry Levitt examines the Affordable Care Act 10 years after it’s enactment. The article notes that the law has taken numerous blows, yet due to its policy design and the political forces it has unleashed, the law has shown remarkable resilience.
Perspective Read More
Coronavirus Response and the Affordable Care Act
This post examines the Affordable Care Act’s impact 10 years after its enactment and how its provisions, especially those that expand coverage opportunities, could address the health threat and economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Issue Brief Read More
KFF Health Tracking Poll – January 2020: Medicare-for-all, Public Option, Health Care Legislation And Court Actions
This month’s KFF Health Tracking poll examines public opinion and knowledge of Medicare-for-all and a public option, President Trump’s approval on health care programs and issues, the public’s priorities for Congress, and public opinion on the Affordable Care Act and the Texas v. U.S. court case.
Poll Finding Read More
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): An Overview, Payment, and Coverage
More people have health insurance than ever before under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which emphasizes preventive care, including no-cost HIV and STI counseling and screening for recommended populations. This fact sheet examines trends and disparities in STI prevalence, reviews the STI screening and preventive care coverage policies for private insurance and public programs, and discusses coverage gaps and confidentiality concerns in the provision of these services.
Fact Sheet Read More POSTPONED – The ACA at 10: What We’ve Learned from the States and How the 2020 Elections Could Shape the Future
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED. This planned March 18 public forum organized by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Academy for State Health Policy public forum has been postponed. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available. The event would have featured two panel discussions examining the Affordable…
Event Read More
The ACA is Doing Fine Without a Mandate Penalty
In an Axios column, Drew Altman explains that the elimination of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate penalty has had little impact on how the ACA’s insurance markets are working, showing that “the marketplaces continue to function, even when ‘severed’ from the mandate penalty,” and undercutting a central argument in the lawsuit seeking to strike down the entire law.
Perspective Read More
Poll: On Health Care, Democrats and Democratic-Leaning Independents Trust Sen. Sanders the Most, but Significantly More People Support a Public Option than Medicare-for-All
3 in 4 Americans Do Not Expect Congress to Take Action to Lower Drug Costs Before the 2020 Election Ahead of tonight’s Democratic presidential debate, Sen. Bernie Sanders is the candidate most trusted on health care by Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, though the Medicare-for-all plan he has championed is significantly…
News Release Read More
How Many of the Uninsured Can Purchase a Marketplace Plan for Free in 2020?
This analysis looks at how many of the remaining uninsured are eligible for premium subsidies that are large enough to cover the entire cost of a bronze plan, which is the minimum level of coverage available on the Marketplaces. It estimates 28% of uninsured individuals who could shop on the ACA Marketplace, or 4.7 million people nationwide, are eligible to purchase a bronze plan with $0 premiums after subsidies in 2020.
Issue Brief Read More
Health Policy Resources for Covering the 2020 Elections
As the 2020 Election Day approaches, many candidates continue to focus on health care issues, including on the public health and economic response to COVID-19, the future of the Affordable Care Act, health care costs and abortion. To help reporters understand and cover these issues, KFF offers independent, non-partisan policy…
News Release Read More