Small Area Variations and the ACA’s Coverage Expansions March 6, 2012 Perspective A new Kaiser analysis sheds light on how the country might react to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when it is implemented. It looks at how the benefits of the ACA’s coverage expansions will vary around the country by census areas (technically, Public Use Microdata Areas, or PUMAs). PUMAs are…
Kaiser November Health Tracking Poll: Individual Elements of the ACA Popular with the Public November 29, 2011 Perspective After taking a negative turn in October, the public’s overall views on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) returned to a more mixed status this month. Still, Americans remain somewhat more likely to have an unfavorable view of the law (44 percent) than a favorable one (37 percent).…
Health Insurance Transparency under the Affordable Care Act March 8, 2012 Perspective In February, a final rule was issued implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that all health plans provide a uniform summary of coverage for all enrollees and applicants. The idea of providing easy-to-understand summaries of coverage is, in fact, the most popular provision in the ACA, according to a recent Kaiser…
How the ACA Changes Pathways to Insurance Coverage for People with HIV September 18, 2012 Perspective There are multiple sources of insurance coverage and care for people with HIV in the United States. These include public programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, as well as private coverage through an employer or in the individual market. Medicaid, the nation’s principal safety-net…
Explaining Health Reform: How will the Affordable Care Act affect Small Businesses and their Employees? January 1, 2012 Fact Sheet Several provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will likely have significant effects on small businesses, their employees, and families. Currently, smaller businesses are less likely to offer health insurance coverage to their employees than larger companies: 57% of small businesses with 50 or fewer workers offered health benefits to…
The Requirement to Buy Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act August 2, 2017 Infographic Note: Congress eliminated the federal tax penalty for not having health insurance, effective January 1, 2019. Along with changes to the health insurance system that guarantee access to coverage to everyone regardless of pre-existing health conditions, the Affordable Care Act includes a requirement that many people be insured or pay…
Covering The ACA May Be Almost As Hard As Implementing It June 4, 2013 Perspective This Pulling It Together was adapted from a column I published earlier this week in Politico, with a new introduction added. You can read the original Politico column here. The implementation of the ACA is news and the public will demand information about it. Journalists and news organizations have an obligation…
Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: June 2013 June 19, 2013 Poll Finding 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.
How Buying Insurance Will Change Under Obamacare September 24, 2013 Perspective When the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health insurance marketplaces (also known as “exchanges”) go online this October, millions of people are expected to apply for private insurance coverage. Nobody expects the launch will be perfect, with no hitches and problems. The law not only replaces a fragmented and confusing assortment…
Obamacare and You: If You Are Uninsured… October 1, 2013 Fact Sheet The Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, creates several new ways to get health coverage. This fact sheet explains how If you are uninsured and not offered health coverage through your job, you may be able to obtain coverage through Medicaid or through a new health insurance marketplace (or exchange) in your state. It is from our Obamacare & You series.