Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
ACA Helps To Chip Away At Income Inequality Gap, Study Finds
FierceHealthcare: ACA's Coverage Gains Decreased Income Inequality: Study
Coverage gains made and subsidies offered under the Affordable Care Act reduced income inequality by more than 10% in 2019, according to a new study from the Urban Institute, a left-leaning think tank. The study, backed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and published in Health Affairs, found that for a typical person in the bottom 10th percentile of income, those who enrolled in a plan under the ACA saw their incomes increase by an average of 18.8%. (Minemyer, 1/7)
Read The Study: Health Affairs: The Affordable Care Act Reduced Income Inequality In The US
The study simulated the impact of the ACA on income inequality in 2019 compared with a scenario without the ACA. We found that the ACA reduced income inequality and that the decrease was much larger in states that expanded Medicaid than in states that did not. We also decomposed the effect of the ACA on inequality by race/ethnicity, age, and family educational attainment. The ACA reduced inequality both across groups and within these groups. (Matthew Buettgens, Fredric Blavin, and Clare Pan)
In related news about health care law —
FierceHealthcare: How COVID-19 Is Changing The Way HR Professionals Think About Employee Benefits
COVID-19 is changing the way human resources professionals view employee benefits, a new survey shows. Artemis Health, a data analytics company, polled 300 benefits leaders at firms with more than 5,000 employees and found that 78% reported employee health and well-being became a significantly higher priority over the course of 2020. (Minemyer, 1/7)
