If Democrats are able to accomplish all these goals in the budget resolution released today, it would be the biggest reform of the health care system since the Affordable Care Act passed more than a decade ago.

democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/…
The policy guidelines that accompany the budget resolution are not binding. It's up to Congressional committees to match expansions with new revenues and savings to solve a complex jigsaw puzzle that matches budget targets.
The cost of these health care expansions can be dialed up or down to fit within available revenues.

One key way to lower the budgetary cost of a health care expansion: Give it an expiration date.
Whether Democrats can turn their health care dreams into reality depends in large part on how successful they are in lowering drug prices, which not only saves money for patients, but for the government as well.
Keep a close eye on how successful Democrats are in building consensus around sweeping plans to lower drug prices. If those plans get scaled back and there are lower savings, the expansion in health care benefits and coverage will get scaled back, too.

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More from @larry_levitt

25 Jun
Every time I help a family member or friend enroll in Medicaid, I come away amazed at how many people actually manage to succeed in navigating the application process.

We focus a lot on eligibility for public benefits and not nearly enough on the complexity of accessing them.
7.3 million people are uninsured but eligible for Medicaid.

More outreach and help navigating the application process could no doubt reduce that number.

kff.org/health-reform/…
In some cases, burdensome application processes for public benefits like Medicaid may simply reflect lack of thoughtful attention to the needs of applicants.

In other cases, it's a purposeful effort to reduce enrollment and costs.
Read 4 tweets
24 Jun
Possibly the biggest gap in the ACA is that there are 2.2 million poor, uninsured people who have no affordable health care options in the dozen states that have not expanded Medicaid.

kff.org/medicaid/issue…
There are two leading options being discussed to cover poor people in states that have not expanded Medicaid.

1. Make people below poverty eligible for subsidized coverage in the ACA marketplace.

2. Create a Medicaid backup plan administered by the federal government.
Using the ACA marketplace is likely the quickest and easiest approach to fill the Medicaid coverage gap, since it already exists.

It's also likely the most expensive approach, since private insurers pay higher prices for health care than Medicaid.
Read 7 tweets
13 May
Missouri is not implementing the Medicaid expansion approved by voters because the legislature has not provided the $130 million in funding for next year.

Under the American Rescue Plan, Missouri would receive $1.1 billion in extra federal funds over two years if it expands.
Here's the @KFF analysis showing the extra $1.1 billion over two years Missouri would receive if it moves forward with the Medicaid expansion approved by voters. This is in addition to the federal government covering 90% of the cost of the expansion.

kff.org/coronavirus-co…
Here is the press release from Missouri Governor Mike Parson pulling back on the Medicaid expansion approved by voters due to lack of funding by the legislature.

governor.mo.gov/press-releases…
Read 4 tweets
27 Apr
Ahead of President Biden's speech, I'll repeat myself:

Health reform always gets harder and more controversial when the details get filled in and the trade-offs and losers, not just the winners, become clearer.
President Biden's American Families Plan will include a permanent expansion of ACA premium help.

He is reiterating support for, but not filling in the details of, campaign proposals to expand Medicare, create a public option, negotiate drug prices, and close the Medicaid "gap."
Here's a link to a White House fact sheet describing President Biden's American Families Plan, with mention of other elements of his health care plan.

whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…
Read 5 tweets
6 Mar
With the COVID relief plan poised for final passage, the first significant enhancement of the Affordable Care Act is about to become law, more than a decade after it was enacted.
Here’s how the COVID relief plan will increase ACA premium help from the federal government, making coverage more affordable for millions of people.

kff.org/health-reform/…
However, remember that any day now the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of the ACA, likely sealing its fate positively or negatively for years to come.
Read 5 tweets
15 Feb
Today is the beginning of the new pandemic special enrollment period for Obamacare. Or, is it Bidencare now?
8.9 million uninsured people are eligible for ACA health coverage with a free or reduced premium in the special enrollment period created by President Biden that begins today.

kff.org/private-insura…
This will be the first ACA enrollment period since 2016 with a significant outreach campaign. (And, the campaign in that 2016 open enrollment was curtailed at the very end in January by the incoming Trump administration.)
Read 4 tweets

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