This brief examines the coverage and cost effects of two health insurance reforms being considered by Congress. Some of the highlights of the brief include:
- Making ARPA premium subsidies permanent and filling the Medicaid coverage gap would reduce the number of people without insurance by nearly one-quarter, or 7.0 million people, in 2022.
- All states would see a drop in their uninsured population, with the largest percentage declines in states that have not yet expanded Medicaid eligibility.
- Enrollment in subsidized marketplace plans would nearly double, while premiums would fall by 18 percent on average.
- Federal spending would increase by an estimated $442 billion over 10 years and, after accounting for increased revenues because of higher wages and some offsetting savings, this reform would increase the federal deficit by an estimated $333 billion if no other changes in policy were made.
The brief was published by the Commonwealth Fund in September 2021. The link to that publication can be found here.
The brief has received coverage from CNN, the Associated Press, and Health Affairs, among other media outlets. One of the headline findings from the report was also referenced in a statement by President Biden.