A new review of the published literature indicates that the Affordable Care Act has made significant progress in accomplishing two of its main goals--decreasing the number of uninsured and improving access to care.
The number of uninsured individuals has substantially decreased through the dependent coverage provision, Medicaid expansion, health insurance exchanges, availability of subsidies, and other policy changes. Affordability of health insurance continues to be a concern for many people, however, and disparities persist by geography, race/ethnicity, and income. Early evidence also indicates improvements in access to and affordability of health care.
"While the Affordable Care Act has yet to accomplish all of its lofty goals, existing scientific research suggests that progress is encouraging and ongoing, especially in terms of expanding coverage," said Dr. Michael T. French, lead author of the Health Services Research study. "With new research studies on the Affordable Care Act being published every month, another comprehensive status report will be necessary in the near future."
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Journal
Health Services Research