Affordable health coverage

Enacted into law in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is one of the biggest changes in health care since passage of the Affordable Care Act and the creation of the Medicare Part D benefit. Significant Medicare drug pricing reforms in the IRA include ability for Medicare to negotiate prices of certain drugs, and a $2,000 out-of-pocket spending cap for prescriptions in Medicare. We’re dedicated to enacting the provisions of the IRA and advocating for improvements to better enable our healthcare services across the nation.

The ACA has brought affordable coverage to millions of Americans and is an essential way to provide access for the uninsured and underinsured to high-quality comprehensive coverage. Strengthening the ACA can be done by enhancing Federal reinsurance, expanding cost-sharing subsidies, funding navigator programs, providing states with incentives to expand Medicaid and maintaining protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

For the first time in the history of Medicare, more than half of eligible beneficiaries access their Medicare benefits through the MA program, including a diverse, low-income and chronically ill population. MA has been integral to fulfilling the Medicare guarantee, offering choices, affordability, and meeting the holistic health needs of seniors and those with disabilities. 94% of beneficiaries are satisfied with their MA coverage in part because of its focus on coordinating care, providing innovative benefits and financial protections that are not available in Fee-for-Service Medicare.¹ Policymakers should take steps to ensure year-over-year stability in the MA program so it can continue being a high-value option meeting the needs of Medicare beneficiaries.

The employer-based system is the foundation of health insurance in our country, providing quality health care coverage to over 153 million Americans.² It is essential to preserve employer health coverage since it offers choice, provides competition and can easily adapt to market changes. Moving forward, it will be critical to ensure that individuals are not deterred from seeking basic care that can prevent or reduce much more serious and costly health conditions in the future.