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.
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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.
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June 1, 2022 News Release
Private insurance companies are expecting to pay out $1 billion in rebates to consumers this fall under an Affordable Care Act provision that requires insurers to spend the bulk of customers’ premium payments on care, a new KFF analysis finds. Rebates are based on insurers’ experiences over the previous three…
May 18, 2022 Blog
Most customers with coverage through Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces will face big premium increases next year if Congress doesn’t extend the temporary enhanced tax credits included in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. If the outcome isn’t clear by summer, fall open enrollment could be a mess.
April 12, 2022 Issue Brief
Data from the KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey demonstrates that some workers face very high contribution amounts for family coverage, including 12% who would have pay at least $10,000 annually in premiums for a family of four. These are the workers most likely to benefit from a fix to the ‘family glitch’.
March 31, 2022 News Release
Against the backdrop of public concern about inflation and rising gas prices, proposals to lower what people pay out-of-pocket for drugs tops the public’s list of health care priorities for Congress, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. Most (55%) of the public say inflation is the biggest problem facing…
March 31, 2022 Poll Finding
This poll finds the public’s health care priorities for Congress focus on reducing out-of-pocket costs, and concerns over inflation and the economy are top of mind as voters begin to think about the November midterm elections. The poll also examines views of the ACA and nursing homes.
March 10, 2022 Issue Brief
This analysis looks at the share of working families’ income that is spent on premiums, deductibles and other cost-sharing for employer-sponsored care. It shows that lower-income families spend a greater share of their income on health costs than those with higher incomes.
December 14, 2021 Issue Brief
The Build Back Better Act would make a number of changes to the way people get health insurance and how health care is financed, including by temporarily closing the Medicaid coverage gap.
December 10, 2021 Issue Brief
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) gives consumers the right to appeal private health plan claims denials and other adverse decisions, including the incorrect application of cost sharing, although limits apply. This issue brief describes consumer access to appeals and limits on appeal rights that have been adopted through federal regulations.
December 7, 2021 News Release
Premiums for the Affordable Care Act Marketplace benchmark silver plan are decreasing 3.1 percent on average across the country – the fourth year in a row that benchmark premiums have fallen – though the changes vary by county, a new KFF county-by-county analysis finds. The benchmark plan premiums are important…
December 7, 2021 Issue Brief
Premiums for ACA Marketplace benchmark silver plans are decreasing on average across the U.S. in 2022. However, premium changes vary widely by location and by metal level, including premium increases in a number of counties and plans.