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.
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Related Affordable Care Act Resources
- 5 Charts About Public Opinion on the Affordable Care Act
- 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.
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Projecting Medicare Advantage Enrollment: Expect the Unexpected?
This Policy Insight explores possible explanations for the continued rise in Medicare Advantage enrollment between 2010 and 2013 in spite of a projected decrease following payment changes in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
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Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: June 2013
As the country gears up for implementation of the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), June’s Kaiser Health Tracking Poll takes a step back and examines views on health insurance more broadly among some key subgroups, including young adults, the uninsured, and those with pre-existing conditions. The poll finds that the large majority of Americans want and value health insurance.
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No Quick Verdict on Obamacare
This column originally appeared in Politico on September 30. Dr. Altman’s future Politico columns will be posted on kff.org one day after publication. October 1, the focus of great attention in the Obamacare wars, is finally here. Today is the day open enrollment begins for the new health insurance marketplaces,…
Perspective Read More Obamacare y usted
“Obamacare y usted” es una serie de materiales que explican cómo la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a (Affordable Care Act o ACA en inglés), también llamada “Obamacare,” afecta a diferentes grupos de personas. Haga clic en los links de abajo para aprender más: Si no tienes seguro médico Haga…
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State-by-State Estimates of the Number of People Eligible for Premium Tax Credits Under the Affordable Care Act
Key provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) create new Marketplaces for people who purchase insurance directly and provide new premium tax credits to help people with low or moderate incomes afford that coverage. This analysis estimates that about 17 million people who are now uninsured or who buy insurance on their own (“nongroup purchasers”) will be eligible for premium tax credits in 2014. This issue brief provides national and state estimates for tax credit eligibility for people in these groups.
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Implications of the Affordable Care Act for People With HIV Infection and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: What Does the Future Hold?
There are numerous aspects of the Affordable Care Act that will be important for people with HIV in the U.S., — however, it is unlikely that these changes will address all the needs of people with HIV. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program will thus remain crucial for the provision of adequate health care to HIV-infected individuals, but it will need to change. Changes in the Ryan White Program’s role will depend largely on state decisions on Medicaid expansion and health care marketplaces. This article, published in the September/October issue of Topics in Antiviral Medicine, summarizes a presentation by Jennifer Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation at the IAS–USA continuing education program held in New York, New York, in April 2013.
Issue Brief Read More The Impact of the Coverage Gap for Adults in States not Expanding Medicaid by Race and Ethnicity
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expansion of Medicaid to adults with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) effectively became a state option following the Supreme Court decision, creating a “coverage gap” for many poor uninsured adults in states that do not expand Medicaid. This brief examines the coverage gap by race and ethnicity.
Issue Brief Read More The Many Roads to Medicaid: An Overview of How People are Connecting to the Program Today
This brief provides an overview of the many different paths to enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP, including paths created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and reviews the available national level data on enrollment through these avenues.
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How Will the Uninsured in Florida Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?
This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in Florida, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in Florida are eligible for Medicaid or financial assistance in the Marketplace. For states not expanding Medicaid, the report quantifies how many uninsured people fall into the “coverage gap,” meaning they will be ineligible for financial assistance in the Marketplace or for Medicaid in their state despite having an income below the federal poverty level.
Fact Sheet Read More How Will the Uninsured in Georgia Fare Under the Affordable Care Act?
This state report explains how the ACA expands coverage in Georgia, including a breakdown of how many uninsured people are eligible for Medicaid, how many are eligible for financial assistance to help them buy private insurance in the new Marketplace and how many will not receive any financial assistance at all. The report also details, in specific dollar figures, the income levels at which people in Georgia are eligible for Medicaid or financial assistance in the Marketplace. For states not expanding Medicaid, the report quantifies how many uninsured people fall into the “coverage gap,” meaning they will be ineligible for financial assistance in the Marketplace or for Medicaid in their state despite having an income below the federal poverty level.
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