Strategic Planning & Timelines

Several of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) key provisions are aimed specifically at children, but much of the law focuses on covering the larger uninsured population of adults without dependent children. As states focus on implementing these ACA coverage programs and other systemic changes by January 1, 2014, it will be important that children’s coverage remains a priority as well. This report explains some challenges and opportunities for making health care reform work for children. The report, developed with the support of The Atlantic Philanthropies, draws upon lessons learned from state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP), federal policy, and relevant research. 

This issue brief examines the status of community safety-net systems in six regions in California. Under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), large numbers of Californians will become eligible for Medi-Cal in 2014. Even with federal resources to help safety-net providers prepare, however, communities with weaker safety-net systems are lagging in reform preparations. As a result, low-income people in those communities may be left without health coverage and timely access to health care services. Even well-prepared regions will need time and assistance to help people gain health care coverage.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will significantly increase coverage options through an expansion of Medicaid and the creation of new health insurance exchange marketplaces. However, effective outreach and enrollment efforts will be key to ensuring that new coverage opportunities translate into increased coverage. Based on a review of existing research, this brief identifies five key lessons learned through previous Medicaid and CHIP experience to help inform outreach and enrollment under the ACA. The brief is part of the “Getting into Gear for 2014″ series examining key implementation issues as states prepare for the ACA coverage expansions.

Analysts estimate that 1.5 million more people will launch their own business and become self-employed because of key provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that will make purchasing high-quality insurance on the open market more accessible and affordable. Significant barriers to coverage will be eliminated through Medicaid expansion, coverage for preexisting conditions, and other assistance such as federal tax credits, enabling more people to start their own business without the risk of being denied coverage or not being able to afford premiums. The report is accompanied by an infographic detailing how many more people will be self-insured in nearly every state once the ACA is implemented.

This infographic demonstrates the estimated impact that the ACA will have on the number of self-employed Americans.