BEYOND THE NUMBERS
Happy Birthday Health Reform, Part 1: A Look Back
Two years ago today, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act — health reform — into law. Millions of Americans already are experiencing the benefits, and other important parts of the law are starting to move forward. This series of posts...
Deep Medicaid Cuts Would Harm Already-Lean Program
As the President and congressional leaders seek a deal to raise the debt limit while also reducing deficits, a number of troubling proposals have emerged, some of which would put at risk health insurance for children, seniors, and people with disabilities by making deep cuts to Medicaid.
Five Things You Might Have Forgotten About Health Reform
One year ago today, President Obama signed the historic Affordable Care Act — i.e., health reform. Since most of the recent public attention to health reform has concerned efforts in Congress or the courts to undermine the new law, it’s worth recalling what the law will actually do.
Something to Celebrate – Health Insurance For Children
Here’s some good news. In 2009, in the depths of the Great Recession, the number and percentage of children who lacked health insurance did not rise – even as the total number of Americans without insurance rose by 4 million, to 51 million. Why? Because even as many kids lost the coverage they had through their parents’ employers, they had an alternative: public programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid.
5 Things We Won’t Achieve If Health Reform Is Repealed
The House of Representatives votes today on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Yesterday we listed five pieces of the law that have already taken effect — and that we would lose if Congress repealed health reform. Below are five major, positive effects that the law will have over the next several years — but which we won’t achieve if health reform is repealed.
5 Things We Would Lose If Congress Repealed Health Reform
The House of Representatives plans to vote tomorrow on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act — that is, health reform. Below are five of its provisions that are already having an impact. As the list shows, repealing health reform would make it harder for many Americans to get insurance, harder for families and seniors with coverage to afford the care they need, and harder for small businesses to provide insurance for their employees:
Erosion of Employer-Based Coverage Highlights Importance of Health Reform
The health reform law (Affordable Care Act) includes a number of provisions to strengthen the employer-based insurance system and improve access to affordable health coverage in other ways. Recent Census Bureau data show why such step are so important, as a new report by my colleague Matt Broaddus explains.
Health Reform Not to Blame for This Year’s Premium Increases
As Americans renew their health insurance for the coming year, many are finding their premiums are going up. Insurance companies are raising rates — in some cases dramatically — and some are telling their customers that the new health reform law is to blame, as NPR reported this morning. But as the NPR story explains, health reform is hardly at fault for rising premiums.
Economists Confirm: State Budget Cuts Threaten Economic Recovery
A new survey of leading economists about the state budget crisis adds ammunition to the case for more federal fiscal relief. Lawmakers should take a close look and reconsider their failure to provide additional relief to date.