The Commonwealth Fund has launched a new series of Fund issue briefs that examines the way the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) will benefit different populations and groups, as well as improve insurance coverage and change the delivery of care. Published briefs include:
State Trends in Premiums and Deductibles, 2003–2010: The Need for Action to Address Rising Costs. Finds that premiums for employer-sponsored family health insurance policies increased by 50 percent from 2003 to 2010, and the annual amount that employees pay toward their insurance increased by 63 percent, as businesses required employees to contribute a greater share.
When Unemployed Means Uninsured: The Toll of Job Loss on Health Coverage, and How the Affordable Care Act Will Help. Finds unemployed workers have few affordable coverage options. While the Affordable Care Act will provide new options, extending subsidies for COBRA would further protect unemployed workers
Women at Risk: Why Increasing Numbers of Women Are Failing to Get the Health Care They Need and How the Affordable Care Act Will Help. Finds the new health reform law will expand health insurance coverage to nearly all uninsured women and will make health care more affordable for millions of women.
Small Businesses and the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Highlights several short- and long-term provisions designed to help small businesses pay for and maintain health insurance for their workers, and to allow workers without employer coverage to gain access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance.
Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans Created by the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Examines eligibility, benefits, premiums, cost-sharing, and oversight of the state PCIP programs, as well as variation in the plans from state to state.
Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Analyzes several short- and long-term provisions that promise to stem the rapidly rising tide of uninsured young adults, one of the largest uninsured segments of the population.
State Trends in Premiums and Deductibles, 2003–2009: How Building on the Affordable Care Act Will Help Stem the Tide of Rising Costs and Eroding Benefits. Analyzes private employer health insurance costs in states for the six years before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed, and projects premiums in 2020 if these increases continue.
Adult Ages 50-64 and the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Examines the provisions in the Affordable Care Act intended to expand access to affordable health insurance for adults ages 50 to 64. 18.3 million men and women ages 50 to 64 stand to benefit from the provisions included in the ACA.C. Schoen, A.-K. Fryer, S. R. Collins, and D. C. Radley