By Molly Frean and Benjamin D. Sommers, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health & Jonathan Gruber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology One of the primary goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to reduce the number of individuals without health insurance in the United States. Prior to the passage of the legislation, this group […]
Today is great day for kids in California. All children in California now—regardless of their immigration status—have access to free or low cost, comprehensive, health coverage if their family income is at or below 266 percent of the federal poverty level (about $53,625 for a family of three). According to the Berkeley Labor Center, up to […]
Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms released a report this week, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, that provides new insights into the many challenges facing consumers and those tasked with assisting them when enrolling into coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. The findings can help policymakers better understand the kinds of systemic […]
One key feature of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that has transformed access to health insurance is the prohibition on discrimination based on health status for those buying coverage on their own or through a small employer. Prior to the ACA, states had varying degrees of protection for individuals with pre-existing conditions, but the patchwork […]
Earlier this week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent a letter to the state of Texas extending the state’s Section 1115 Medicaid waiver for 15 months with level funding through the end of 2017. The state of Texas promptly labelled the agreement a “big win” for Texas – but was it? Texas […]
The so-called “Free Care Rule” prevented states from receiving federal Medicaid funds to provide any service that is ordinarily provided for free to the community at large, even if Medicaid would cover these services for its beneficiaries. For instance, if a public school nurse were to examine a student, federal funds could not be used […]
