New Study: Health Reform Will Make Insurance Affordable for Nearly All Families
<p>Ninety percent of American families living above the federal poverty level will be able to afford health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new Commonwealth Fund <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2011/apr/realizing-health-reforms-potential-will-affordable-care-act-make">report</a> by Jonathan Gruber and Ian Perry of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). </p>
<p>The report—<em>Will the Affordable Care Act Make Health Insurance Affordable?</em>—finds that new subsidies available through health insurance exchanges established under the law will make premiums affordable for most families. </p>
<p>The analysis finds that the vast majority of American families, even lower-income families, have room in their budgets for premiums and typical out-of-pocket costs. For example, households between 100 percent and 150 percent of the poverty level (up to $33,525 for a family of four) spend 75 percent of resources on necessities—including child care, food, housing, taxes and transportation—leaving most families in that income range able to afford some health-related expenses, with the assistance of the new subsidies.</p>
<p>The authors warn, however, that some families who experience very high out-of-pocket costs because of illness may be unable to afford all their health-related expenses, suggesting some additional protections may be needed. Read <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2011/apr/realizing-health-reforms-potential-will-affordable-care-act-make">more</a>. <br /></p>