Affordable Care Act

The 2010 health care reform law that established federal subsidies for millions of Americans purchasing individual market health insurance through federally and state run health insurance exchanges, and allowed states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover all adults with income below 138% of the federal poverty level, among other provisions.

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events for this topic. See past events below.

Past Events

January 24, 2024

This event featured an analysis of potential health policy priorities at both state and federal levels for this upcoming election year, and provided a review of major legislative milestones from 2023 and their potential implications for 2024.

April 14, 2023

This panel provided a high-level overview of health care coverage programs in the United States, such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and employer-based insurance, as well as recent changes to coverage such as bolstering subsidies. This Session:

April 14, 2023

The Health Policy Academy equipped staffers at the start of their career in health policy with practical knowledge about fundamental facets of the health care system and the legislative process. The four sessions addressed a variety of health policy topics, including health care financing, costs, and coverage, navigating the legislative process, and the structure and […]

November 30, 2022

The November 8 midterm elections have reshaped the contours of federal health policymaking for the remainder of President Biden’s current term. While Democrats outperformed expectations retaining control of the Senate—with the potential of adding a seat—and limiting their losses in the House, Republicans have gained a majority in the House. As a result, avenues for […]

July 15, 2022

In light of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the federal government implemented temporary changes to routine Medicaid, CHIP, and Marketplace eligibility and enrollment operations to help stabilize insurance coverage. Medicaid and CHIP enrollment has grown to nearly 85 million individuals due largely to the continuous enrollment condition. Over 3 million new consumers have joined […]

January 21, 2022

This event was Part II of the Alliance’s Health Policy Roundup and 2022 Forecast series. Economic fallout and higher unemployment rates due to the pandemic have raised concerns about health insurance coverage enrollment and affordability in the U.S. Although the national uninsured rate remained mostly unchanged throughout the pandemic (at or around 10–11%), many eligible […]

January 14, 2022

This event was Part I of the Alliance’s Health Policy Roundup and 2022 Forecast series. The year 2021 was packed with executive, legislative, and judicial branch activities—including infrastructure bills, reconciliation packages, a Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act, as well as continued executive actions to combat COVID-19 as the U.S. enters winter and […]

June 18, 2021

The Affordable Care Act is a landmark health policy package signed into law in March 2010 and has faced no shortage of political controversy and legal challenges over its 11-year history. One such case (Texas v. California) began when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 effectively eliminated the individual mandate provision, and has […]

April 16, 2021

This multi-day virtual academy equipped staffers at the start of their career in health policy (or those that needed a refresher) with practical knowledge about fundamental facets of the health care system and the policymaking process. Sessions will feature speakers with experience working in/with federal policy institutions, including Congress and the executive branch. Topics addressed […]

November 18, 2020

Session 3: What’s the Long-Term Vision for Health Care in America? In this fireside chat, futurist Ian Morrison explored broad trends for the health care sector in the next year and beyond. Ian Morrison, Ph.D., Author, Consultant, and Futurist Sarah Dash, MPH, President and CEO, Alliance for Health Policy (moderator) Session 4: Carving a Leadership […]

Toolkits

Abortion and Health Reform Resource List

The coverage of abortion in a reformed health care system has become a topic generating considerable emotion in health reform debates. This resource list will help readers better understand what drives the positions of those taking sides on abortion within health reform.

Budget Reconciliation

Health reform passed in March 2010 thanks, in part, to a budget reconciliation bill that made changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This toolkit explains how reconciliation works, and offers links to resources that go into more detail on subjects such as the “Byrd rule” and the important role of the Senate […]

Legal Challenges to the New Health Reform Law

Constitutional challenges health reform were already in the works before President Obama signed the new reform law on March 23. On what grounds are states objecting? Are any of the lawsuits filed likely to succeed? This toolkit, written by Kevin Arts, addresses both questions.

Reporting on Health Reform Between Now and 2014

Now that health reform is law, reporters covering this subject have a new challenge: keeping readers, viewers and listeners engaged through the long implementation process. This toolkit will help. Features story ideas from seasoned reporters and links to dozens of resources. Also included: a list of experts with contact information and helpful websites.

The Presidential Health Care Plans: What You Need to Know

Health care is an increasingly important issue in this year’s close presidential election, but sorting out what the candidates are proposing – and what it all means – is difficult. The resources in this new Toolkit will help you to move beyond the rhetoric. The debate can be boiled down to three central questions. Should […]

Marketplace Enrollment Helpers

Beginning October 1, insurance marketplaces open for enrollment, and millions of people will be eligible to purchase plans. To guide them in the application process, the federal government has invested in programs to train community organizations and hired staff. Most of the money has gone to so-called navigators and assisters, which are tasked with helping […]

ABCs of the ACA – What You Need to Know

The Alliance for Health Reform answers key questions about the insurance marketplaces that opened for enrollment October 1 in this new FAQ, available here. The document also provides links to websites that go into detailed explanations of how the law and the exchanges work. Some links point directly to state marketplaces and other government resources.

The Employer Mandate of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act

The Toolkit, available here, details the ACA’s employer requirements and penalty. It also includes information about the delay in the mandate to 2015, and analysis about its impact on employer-based coverage. The Toolkit includes: key facts about the employer mandate; data about trends in employment-based health coverage; links to news articles and reports explaining and […]

King v. Burwell Toolkit: To Subsidize or Not to Subsidize

A new Alliance for Health Reform toolkit will help you prepare for and understand the Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell decision, which could come as early as Friday. A major challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is before the Supreme Court, which is expected to make a decision in the King v. Burwell case […]

Sourcebook Chapters

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in March 2010.

Policymakers

Members of Congress, Congressional and agency staff, federal, state, and local legislators.

Health Care Stakeholders

Industry stakeholders, practitioners and providers, patient advocates, community organizations, academics.

Media

Members of the press, journalists, public relations professionals.