Tag Archives: ACA

Report shows consumers could save even more on health insurance

Image courtesy of The Commonwealth Fund

Reporting on how much consumers will save on health insurance under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) has never been easy, but last week, it got more complicated.

Previous studies on how ARPA would affect household spending on health insurance underestimated the effects of the law, according to a report on Oct. 6 from the Commonwealth Fund. That means consumers could spend much less out of pocket for copayments and deductibles if Congress passes the reforms being debated now under budget deliberations. The increased savings come because of a recalculation of the effects of ARPA, the fund reported.

Although the recalculation didn’t get much coverage, this story is important for journalists because the increased savings could be in the billions of dollars. In addition, the reforms proposed in Congress would cut the number of Americans without health insurance by 7 million, the fund reported.

In a report the fund published in September, “The Coverage and Cost Effects of Key Health Insurance Reforms Being Considered by Congress,” researchers from the Urban Institute noted that members of Congress have proposed a budget this year that includes reforming the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in two ways. One reform would make permanent the enhanced premium subsidies in ARPA that otherwise would expire at the end of next year. The other reform would fix what’s called the Medicaid coverage gap by extending eligibility for subsidies on the ACA marketplaces to people earning below 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) in the 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid.

In those 12 states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming), Medicaid eligibility for adults is strictly limited. The median annual income limit for a family of three is just 41% of the FPL, or $8,905. Also, childless adults are ineligible.

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Stories to cover before the ACA’s special enrollment period ends

Karen Politz, "How the American Rescue Plan Will Improve Affordability of Private Health Coverage"

Karen Politz, Kaiser Family FoundationThe American Rescue Plan provides better subsidies for health insurance premiums for those whose income is 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL), which is $12,880 for an individual and $26,500 for a family of four, to 400% of FPL ($51,520 for an individual and $106,000 for a family of four).

The Biden administration reported on July 14 that 2.1 million Americans had signed up for health insurance coverage on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges during a pandemic-related special enrollment period that began February 15. The next day, the administration announced a “Summer Sprint to Coverage” campaign before the special enrollment period ends on August 15.

From February 15 through June 30, 1.5 million Americans signed up on HealthCare.gov, and 600,000 enrolled in the 14 states and the District of Columbia that run their own state-based marketplaces. Since April 1, the administration noted that among those new and returning consumers, 1.2 million (34%) selected plans that require premium payments of $10 or less per month. Those lower rates are the result of increased premium subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) that Congress passed in March. Continue reading

ACA hits new high and survives in court, but journalists still have some explaining to do

With just over a week to go in June, the Affordable Care Act has already had a very successful month in two important ways.

First, the ACA hit a record for enrollment, topping 31 million Americans since the law went into effect in 2014, according to a report the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued earlier this month. And, second, the ACA survived a challenge at the U.S. Supreme Court, as we reported last week.

To reach that figure of 31 million, the HHS report included the 20 million who have gained insurance through the marketplaces under the ACA itself and through other ACA insurance programs. Continue reading

Affordable Care Act survives again as SCOTUS rejects third challenge

Photo by dbking via Flickr

Ruling 7-2 on Thursday in a challenge that Texas and other states brought against the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. Supreme Court found the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to bring the lawsuit.

“The decision preserves health insurance subsidies for more than 20 million Americans and protections for tens of millions more whose preexisting medical conditions could otherwise prevent them from obtaining coverage,” as David G. Savage explained in an article for The Los Angeles Times. Continue reading

House passes first bill to expand the ACA

Photo: Robert Couse-Baker via Flickr

The House recently passed a health reform bill – and it’s a definite win for the incrementalists.

The Democratic presidential primaries – which now feel like they took place in another universe, long ago and far away – were animated by a significant divide over whether to move to a single-payer “Medicare for All” health care system or to build upon the Affordable Care Act. Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden wants to build on the ACA and favors adding a public option. Continue reading