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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.

Report

How to Prevent Health Insurance Loss During Future Recessions

Nov 12, 2021

The pandemic–related recession and job loss raised concerns that millions of Americans would lose their health insurance. But temporary aid to protect coverage prevented that from happening. Making the enhanced marketplace tax credits in the American Rescue Plan permanent could keep coverage stable in future recessions.
Commentary

How Insurance Marketplace Regulators Can Help Consumers Enroll in Better Coverage

Aug 2, 2021

The Affordable Care Act simplified shopping for health care by creating the individual health insurance marketplaces where plans are categorized into labeled tiers. Consumers rely on these labels when comparing plans. But the labels don't tell consumers everything they need to know.

Explore Affordable Care Act

Commentary

Temporary Safety-Net Policies Prevented Mass Insurance Loss During the Pandemic

Although it provided a foundation, the ACA alone could not have absorbed the effects of the pandemic's sudden job losses on health care coverage. Temporary expansions to the safety net enacted by Congress also were necessary to stem coverage loss. As the pandemic continues, policymakers will want to keep safety-net provisions as available policy options.

Dec 13, 2021
News Release

Boosting Tax Credits and Other Aid Could Prevent Health Insurance Loss During Future Recessions

The federal Affordable Care Act was not robust enough on its own to stave off a large number of people in New York from losing their health coverage during the pandemic-related recession.

Nov 15, 2021
Blog

Boosting Vaccine Acceptance, Afghanistan's Refugee Crisis, Environmental Racism: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on addressing vaccine hesitancy, preventing an even-bigger humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and how to develop antiracist environmental policies.

Sep 10, 2021
News Release

Republicans May Be Less Likely to Make Use of Federal Subsidies When Buying Individual Health Insurance Policies

Republicans who buy individual health plans may be less likely to shop through marketplaces created under the federal Affordable Care Act, leading them to forgo subsidies provided by the federal government.

Sep 8, 2021
Commentary

ACA Subsidies for Higher-Income Families Are Key to Enrolling More Americans

The House Ways and Means Committee has proposed several insurance reforms in its emergency COVID-19 relief package, including increasing subsidizes and extending subsidies to people with higher incomes. The proposed combined approach is a far more efficient means of covering uninsured Americans than enhancing subsidies only for those who are currently eligible.

Mar 1, 2021
Dissertation

Exploring the Influences of External Factors on the Veteran Disability Compensation Program

Explores factors affecting the performance and scope of the veteran disability compensation program.

Feb 23, 2021
Journal Article

Low Rates of Pediatric Dental Coverage for Families Purchasing Marketplace Insurance Plans

Pediatric dental care is an essential health benefit that the Affordable Care Act requires most private health plans to cover. It is unknown how these different pediatric dental coverage offerings may affect uptake of coverage.

Feb 12, 2021
Journal Article

Changes in Pediatric Dental Coverage and Visits Following the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

Comparing pre- and post-ACA periods, private dental insurance increased by 4.6% (P=0.013) and annual dental visits were unchanged (2.7%, P=0.071) comparing children likely or unlikely to be affected by the ACA.

Feb 2, 2021
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.

Dec 1, 2020
Journal Article

The Affordable Care Act, Breastfeeding, and Breast Pump Health Insurance Coverage

Viewpoint on the Affordable Care Act, breastfeeding, and breast pump health insurance coverage.

Nov 17, 2020
Blog

'Internet of Bodies,' COVID-19 as a Preexisting Condition, Preventive Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the potential risks and benefits of the 'Internet of Bodies,' what might happen if the ACA is struck down and COVID-19 is considered a preexisting condition, a drop in the use of preventive care, and more.

Nov 6, 2020
Commentary

COVID-19: Preexisting Condition in a Post-ACA World?

The Affordable Care Act is far from perfect, but its protections are particularly relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic. If the ACA is struck down, then protections for preexisting conditions will go with it. Policymakers should consider the potential implications for millions of COVID-19 survivors.

Nov 4, 2020
Report

Consolidation by Any Other Name: The Emergence of Clinically Integrated Networks

In this report, the authors offer an initial assessment of clinically integrated networks (CINs), describe how health systems are using CINs strategically to compete in crowded health care markets, and identify why CINs require further study.

Aug 3, 2020
Blog

Preparing for a COVID Surge, Reducing Police Violence, Media Literacy in Schools: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on helping hospitals prepare for a surge in COVID-19 infections, an approach to reducing police violence, teachers' concerns about students' media literacy, and more.

Jul 2, 2020
News Release

Public Option Could Lower Health Insurance Premiums, but Would Not Substantially Raise Number of Insured

Offering a government-sponsored health plan with publicly determined payment rates to people who buy their own insurance could lower the cost of premiums, but on its own it is unlikely to substantially increase the overall number of people with coverage.

May 28, 2020
Commentary

Options for Designing a Public Option

State and federal policymakers are considering adding state-backed public options to the individual market in an effort to expand health coverage and improve affordability. We analyzed what would happen if public options became available in U.S. health insurance exchanges.

May 28, 2020
Report

Public Options for Individual Health Insurance: Assessing the Effects of Four Public Option Alternatives

There is growing interest in a "public option" for individual market insurance to improve affordability and enrollment. The authors estimate how adding a federal public option could affect enrollment, premiums, and government spending.

May 28, 2020
Blog

Hospitals' Critical Care Capacity, Unemployment Insurance, Farmworkers: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how hospitals can increase critical care capacity, reforming the U.S. unemployment system, supporting farmworkers, and more.

Apr 10, 2020

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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

Research conducted by

RAND Health Care