Affordable Health Care Act (ACA)
The Affordable Health Care Act or ACA increased affordable health insurance for 20 million people. Many are lower salaried families with children. President Elect Trump and members of Congress, present and future, want to change ACA. ACA was enacted during President Obama’s administration.
Some folks don’t want to pay for other people’s health insurance. But minimum wage is so l
ow that many workers have been left in the lurch. Without ACA, they would have to depend on expensive emergency ward care, or no care at all. If you want to help, Promise the Children will inform you of future proposed changes to ACA. If you stay in touch with your legislator, you, the voter, can make a difference. We will let you know when to take action if you sign up at www.promisethechildren.org/
ACA helps:
- More families living in poverty receive Medicaid and more children are eligible for CHIP
(Children’s Health Insurance Program)because of ACA. Each state decides who is eligible within federal guidelines. In general, and as one example, Medicaid covers families with 3 members who earn up to 300% of the poverty level. This is about $60,000. - Also, families with a low-income, up to 400% of the poverty line or about $80,000 for a family of 3, receive subsidies to purchase health care. They can purchase health insurance and/or their children may qualify for CHIP.
In accordance with a Supreme Court decision in 2012, Medicaid expansion has been approved by 31 states and Washington, D.C. Some States voted against Medicaid expansion because they saw no reason to help more people pay for health insurance.
With ACA the federal government provides 100 percent funding to the states for Medicaid that covers newly eligible individuals for three years (CY 2014 – 2016). This will gradually be reduced to 90 percent in 2020, and then this subsidy becomes permanent. This increase in federal support for the Medicaid program will result in savings for our states. In addition states can apply for waivers that alter the Medicaid requirements up to a certain extent.
The Trump administration may convert Medicaid into a block grant. This would eliminate the need for state waivers, but would allow congress to increase or decrease funding for Medicaid in the annual budget. This fluctuation in funding might result in the loss of Medicaid and Chip for people who are presently covered.
President Elect Trump may cut Medicaid. If so, states will have to support hospitals and clinics that are providing health care services to low-salaried families and children who now receive Medicaid and CHIP health insurance. Or, these services will be eliminated.
