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Affordable Care Act

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Through a number of provisions — such as individual and employer mandates, health insurance exchanges, and the expansion of Medicaid — the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to expand access to health care for uninsured Americans. RAND has examined implementation challenges, cost and coverage implications, Medicaid expansion, state health insurance exchanges, and reforms to both care delivery and payment.

Commentary

Repeal-and-Delay Would Make Budget Neutrality for ACA Replacement Difficult

Jan 11, 2017

As Congress considers repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, it will need to consider how federal budget scoring can affect the fate of legislation. Depending on the ultimate cost of a replacement, finding enough savings to offset costs while maintaining budget neutrality could make it hard to pass a replacement.
Report

Effects of the ACA's Medicaid Expansion on Health Insurance Enrollment

Dec 29, 2016

Increases in insurance coverage were larger in states that expanded Medicaid, but take-up was lower among men, Hispanics, and adults under 36.

Explore Affordable Care Act

Report

The Effects of Iowa's Proposed Stopgap Measure on Health Insurance Costs and Coverage

This report uses RAND's COMPARE microsimulation model to estimate the effects of a 1332 waiver application from the state of Iowa. The waiver is designed to stabilize Iowa's Affordable Care Act individual market through a series of modifications.

Oct 17, 2017
Commentary

Why ACA Enrollees Need Support After They Sign Up

Health insurance makes checkups and other preventive services affordable. These visits enable providers to identify risk factors for chronic diseases before they start, and suggest ways to become healthier. Helping ACA enrollees connect with providers they like can minimize the risk they will stop seeking routine care.

Oct 11, 2017
Report

Report

The Impact of Health Reform on Purchased Care Access: National Health Reform and Modernization of the Military Health System Study

Newly insured patients through the Affordable Care Act coverage expansion may change how civilian providers interact with the TRICARE program. Some physicians may face financial incentives to drop TRICARE patients for newly insured patients.

Sep 27, 2017
Commentary

Do Americans Expect Too Much from Health Insurance?

Americans expect affordable coverage for pre-existing conditions, access to routine services, and protection from unpredictable and significant financial risk from accidents or illness. As a product designed primarily for risk protection, insurance may not be the most efficient or affordable approach to achieving all of these objectives.

Sep 23, 2017
News Release

News Release

Repealing or Replacing Affordable Care Act Would Result in More Uninsured Veterans, Increase Stress on VA Health System

Proposals to repeal or replace the federal Affordable Care Act would likely increase the demand for service in the Veterans Affairs medical system, while also increasing the number of veterans who have no insurance coverage at all.

Sep 14, 2017
Report

Repealing or Replacing ACA Would Result in More Uninsured Veterans and Stress on VA Health System

Recent congressional proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act would increase the number of uninsured nonelderly veterans and further increase demand for VA health care. The effects would vary across states, but the largest impacts would be felt in states that expanded Medicaid.

Sep 14, 2017
Research Brief

How Might Veterans and the VA Health System Be Affected by Repeal of the Affordable Care Act?

The American Health Care Act would increase uninsurance among veterans and demand for Department of Veterans Affairs care by a greater margin than simply returning to pre-Affordable Care Act levels of coverage.

Sep 14, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Did the Dependent Coverage Expansion Increase Risky Substance Use Among Young Adults?

This analysis of the dependent coverage expansion under the ACA suggests that historical trends rather than the insurance expansion ittself account for increases in substance use among people ages 19-25 since 2010.

Aug 25, 2017
Blog

RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress

Hill staffers can make the most of the Congressional recess with this list of must-read research and commentary on the policy issues they will be addressing this fall.

Aug 4, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Did the Affordable Care Act's Dependent Coverage Expansion Affect Race/Ethnic Disparities in Health Insurance Coverage?

While the ACA's Dependent Coverage Expansion has increased insurance coverage, it has also widened race/ethnic disparities because it benefits only those young adults whose parents have private coverage.

Aug 1, 2017
Report

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Alternative Tax Subsidization Approaches for Health Insurance

This report reviews the features of tax-based approaches to subsidizing health insurance, including tax credits and tax deductions, and summarizes their associated benefits and drawbacks.

Jul 13, 2017
Content

Alternatives to the Affordable Care Act

As alternatives to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) continue to be proposed, RAND researchers assess the effects of modifying the ACA or replacing it with another plan.

Jun 15, 2017
Content

U.S. Health Care Policy

The U.S. health care policy landscape is poised for great change. Extensive RAND research offers insights about the likely impact of repealing or revising the ACA along key dimensions, including Medicaid, the individual mandate, effects on employers, tax subsidies, changing rating regulations, and essential health benefits.

Jun 9, 2017
Report

Report

Financing Health Care in Oregon: Four Policy Options

This presentation describes four options for financing health care for residents of the state of Oregon and compares the projected impacts and feasibility of each option.

May 17, 2017
Announcement

Health Care Economist Christine Eibner Appointed to Endowed Chair at RAND Corporation

Christine Eibner, a senior economist who has led influential work on how to improve the nation's health care system, has been appointed to the RAND Corporation's Paul O'Neill Alcoa Chair in Policy Analysis.

May 4, 2017
Report

The Effects of the American Health Care Act

The American Health Care Act would have reduced insurance enrollment by an estimated 14.2 million people in 2020 and by 19.7 million people by 2026. The uninsured would have been older, sicker, and poorer than those currently uninsured. Also, the AHCA would have increased the deficit by $38 billion in 2020 while reducing it by $5 billion in 2026.

May 3, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

Variation in Dermatologist Visits by Sociodemographic Characteristics

Medicaid enrollees are less likely than those with private insurance to see a dermatologist or receive care for a skin condition, suggesting that efforts need to be made to increase access to skin specialists.

Apr 26, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist: Part of the Solution

Efforts to create high-functioning primary care teams should take advantage of the knowledge and skills of clinical pharmacy specialists

Apr 19, 2017
Commentary

Parental Leave Would Cause a Boom in Breastfeeding

Doctors recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life. This provides health benefits to both mother and child and saves health care costs. Paid maternity leave can boost breastfeeding rates, but few U.S. firms offer it.

Apr 17, 2017
Multimedia

Drama over Health Care Continues

In this Call with the Experts, RAND senior economist Christine Eibner discusses the Affordable Care Act, what policymakers should consider, and changes that the current administration could make.

Apr 11, 2017

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RAND Topic:
Affordable Care Act

Topic Synonyms:
ACA;
Health Care Bill;
Health Care Reform Bill;
Healthcare Bill;
Healthcare Reform Bill;
HR 3200;
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act