Explaining Health Reform: Building Enrollment Systems That Meet The Expectations of the Affordable Care Act October 1, 2010 Issue Brief The new health reform law will require most U.S. citizens and legal residents to have health coverage by 2014. It provides new options for coverage by expanding Medicaid eligibility to more low-income people and creating a state-based system of health insurance Exchanges through which individuals can purchase coverage, with federal…
Women’s Health Insurance Coverage December 21, 2022 Fact Sheet This fact sheet reviews major sources of coverage for women residing in the U.S. in 2021, discusses the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on women’s coverage, and the coverage challenges that many women continue to face.
What the Actuarial Values in the Affordable Care Act Mean April 1, 2011 Issue Brief The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) establishes four levels of coverage based on the concept of “actuarial value,” which represents the share of health care expenses the plan covers for a typical group of enrollees. As plans increase in actuarial value – bronze, silver, gold, and platinum –…
The Cost and Coverage Implications of the ACA Medicaid Expansion: National and State-by-State Analysis November 1, 2012 Report 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…
Pulling it Together: How the ACA Can Help The Homeless September 21, 2012 Perspective Estimates are that there are approximately 630,000 people who are homeless on any given night in the U.S. — about two-thirds in shelters and one-third on the street or without real shelter. Several million people are estimated to experience homelessness over the course of a year. About two-thirds are individuals and the…
Pulling it Together: The Most Popular Provision in the ACA? November 29, 2011 Perspective In our most recent monthly tracking poll, we asked the American people what elements of the health reform law they like and dislike. Surprisingly, the runaway favorite was a relatively obscure requirement that health plans provide consumers with a short, easy to understand description of their benefits and coverage. Sixty…
Summary of Coverage Provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act July 17, 2012 Issue Brief This short summary describes the health coverage provisions contained in the final version of the Affordable Care Act signed into law in March 2010, including the individual mandate requirements, expansion of public programs, health insurance exchanges, changes to private insurance and employer requirements.
A Guide to the Supreme Court’s Decision on the ACA’s Medicaid Expansion August 1, 2012 Issue Brief On June 28, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the case challenging the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Court upheld the constitutionality of the ACA’s individual mandate, which requires most people to maintain a minimum level of health insurance coverage beginning in 2014. A majority of the…
How is the Affordable Care Act Leading to Changes in Medicaid Today? State Responses to Five New Options May 30, 2012 Issue Brief This policy brief examines how states in every region have responded to five key opportunities available under the health reform law to help them prepare for the significant expansion of Medicaid in 2014. The options covered in the brief include incentives for states to get an early start on the…
Small Area Variations and the ACA’s Coverage Expansions March 6, 2012 Perspective A new Kaiser analysis sheds light on how the country might react to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when it is implemented. It looks at how the benefits of the ACA’s coverage expansions will vary around the country by census areas (technically, Public Use Microdata Areas, or PUMAs). PUMAs are…
