KEEPING TRACK OF THE ACA AND MEDICAID
The NDNRC wants to make sure that people with disabilities (PWDs) are aware of potential changes to their healthcare with the new administration taking office. The disability community utilizes Medicaid, and the ACA (Affordable Care Act) Marketplace plans at a higher rate than those without disabilities due to their unique needs.
By updating this newsletter with resources and educational pieces on where disability health policies stand, we hope to ensure that the disability community continues to have access to accessible and affordable healthcare coverage no matter what changes occur in the foreseeable future.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has created a tracker to cover state tax cuts that are affecting public health services that marginalized communities, like the disability community, use. This coverage includes stories and lived experiences, case studies on specific state situations, and an overall analysis of these tax cuts.
CBPP also reviewed current Administration changes through huge tax cuts that would be met by cutting funding to Medicaid services. This technique would not benefit anyone and instead cause harm. Community Catalyst also released comments on this and noted how these cuts only benefit the wealthy.
Community Catalyst released their comments to the proposed changes to the ACA. Overall, they commented on the shortened open enrollment period, complicated paperwork, remove automatic renewals, and the increased health costs.
Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families noted how Medicaid cuts would decrease health outcomes for children and babies with disabilities and development delays. Overall, these cuts would restrict funding and decrease school readiness.
The Kaiser Family Foundation reviewed supreme court cases that would potentially remove the current standards of ACA required coverage of preventive services. If this were to go through, it would lock coverage into the state that it was in 2010.
KFF continues to update the Section 1115 Medicaid tracker. This tracks each state through polling and data analysis. Topics in this tracker are related to eligibility, benefits, and social determinants of health and other delivery system reforms.
KFF reviewed how states will verify citizenship and immigration status in Medicaid programs, as current proposed rules will make it even harder for other undocumented populations.
Archives of our weekly updates are available on the NDNRC website.