Health Insurance

Context: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, persons with pregnancy Medicaid coverage were typically disenrolled after 60 days postpartum, at which point they could retain Medicaid only if they qualified through another eligibility category (most commonly as a parent). The March 2020 Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) extended postpartum Medicaid coverage by requiring states to pause disenrollment in exchange for enhanced federal funding. More

About 280,000 older adults experience the “Medicare Cliff” each year, becoming eligible for Medicare and losing Medicaid coverage when they turn age 65 years due to discontinuities in financial eligibility criteria. More

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted on July 4, 2025, established the first nationwide Medicaid work requirement, replacing prior state-specific Section 1115 demonstrations with a uniform federal standard More

Political analysts have argued that inflation and concerns about the economy were driving factors in the 2024 presidential election. As costs for… More

Despite all the criticism, the ACA has had notable success in achieving its objectives.  More

Federal and state immigration policies influence access to health insurance for Latino populations. Local jurisdictions also have immigration-related policymaking power, but there has been limited study of their influence on health care access. We examined the relationship between county-level immigration policy contexts and health insurance coverage of Latino adults and youth in California using two measures that capture local-level policy decisions and immigration policy–related social inequity. More

No discernible difference exists between the ACA mandate penalty that was overturned by the US Supreme Court and the mandate penalty in the 2025 OBBBA. More

Despite a mountain of evidence showing its deleterious effects, a Medicaid work requirement is now law. The mandate, considered by its supporters to be a centerpiece of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), is the product of a desperate search to find ways to help offset over $3 trillion in tax losses, coupled with the enduring desire among Affordable Care Act (ACA) opponents to repeal the Medicaid expansion for working-age adults. More

The GOP Plan to End Obamacare involves fiscally starving it to death rather than an explicit repeal. Trump’s recent signing of the “Big Beautiful Bill” brings us closer to that harsh reality.   More

From 2004 to 2024, Medicare Advantage (MA) went from being a “policy disappointment,” covering 12% of all Medicare beneficiaries, to predominance, covering more than one-half (52%), with more growth predicted in the future. Drawing on an extensive review and synthesis of the literature, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) reports, congressional committee hearings, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data, this paper analyzes the evolution of Medicare and managed care in three parts More