According to a letter from the Congressional Budget Office, implementing the ACA in resistant states would cost $553 billion in tax credits, eligibility, and Medicaid programs. The cost would cover a total of 4 million individuals.
- Membership: The rise in Medicaid (4 million) and subsidized nongroup membership (3.6 million) is offset by a drop in unsubsidized nongroup enrollment (1 million) and employment-based coverage (2.8 million).
- The contents: According to the letter, the estimated $553 billion deficit tied to the move would span between 2022 and 2031.The estimates are tied to current proposals to extend subsidy eligibility to those with incomes between 100 percent and 138 percent below the federal poverty line, increase education and outreach, and expand Medicaid programs in holdout states over a nine-year roadmap.
- Reform: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the comprehensive health care reform signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 2010. Formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and often just called Obamacare, the law includes a list of healthcare policies intended to extend health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured Americans
- Expansion: The act expanded Medicaid eligibility, created health insurance exchanges, mandated that Americans purchase or otherwise obtain health insurance, and prohibited insurance companies from denying coverage (or charging more) due to preexisting conditions. It also allows children to remain on their parents’ insurance plan until age 26.
- Benefits: The act enhanced eligibility, created a Health Insurance Marketplace, prevented insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions, and required plans to cover a list of essential health benefits.
