People with disabilities at various income levels have benefited from changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Some of these changes include giving states an incentive to expand the Medicaid program to individuals with higher income limits and without asset limits, creating private insurance marketplaces where people with disabilities can shop for coverage options and potentially receive tax deductions or subsidies depending on their income level, and requiring insurers to provide coverage free of discrimination and regardless of an individual’s pre-existing condition. The incoming Trump administration has argued strongly that the ACA has been a costly mistake that provides few benefits. Today the federal Department of Health and Human Services, and the federal Council of Economic Advisors released lengthy and detailed data that illustrates the impact of the ACA on health coverage, our state and national economy, and the quality and costs of healthcare.
It is vitally important for the disability community to share our real- life healthcare stories with one another and with law and policy-makers. It is also important for us to see and understand the data behind the ACA. This allows us to refute bald and unverified statements with genuine facts that broadly support our own experiences of gaining access to the healthcare we need.
Today’s National Press Release on the available information.
A Compilation of up-to-date state-level data (xlsx) that includes numbers on the uninsured, private market reforms, employer coverage, Medicaid, the individual market (including the Health Insurance Marketplace), and Medicare.
Sources and notes (PDF) for the data compilation.
A new comprehensive economic report on the impact of the ACA.