The State of the Affordable Care Act
The host
Julie Rovner Health News KFF
@julierovner.bsky.social Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A renowned expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically acclaimed reference work “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.
Open enrollment for health plans under the Affordable Care Act began Nov. 1, but it remains unclear how much the 24 million Americans who shop on the ACA marketplaces are expected to pay in premiums starting in January. Unless Congress acts to expand the tax credits added to the program in 2021, most consumers will have to contribute much more out of pocket; in some cases double or triple what they will pay in 2025.
The politics of fighting the ACA this year are also complicated. Democrats are using the only leverage they have – a government shutdown – to try to force Republicans to negotiate the expiration of the ACA tax credits. Yet many, if not most, of the people who will have to pay much higher premiums in 2026 come from Republican-dominated states, like Texas and Florida, and are in occupations that tend to be more Republican than Democratic, like farmers and ranchers, or small business owners.
In this special episode of “What the Health?” from KFF Health News and WAMU, host Julie Rovner speaks with Cynthia Cox, KFF vice president and director of its ACA program. Cox explains what the nation’s health care system looked like before the health law was passed, how it helped reduce health care costs and improve insurance coverage, and the unique politics of the current struggle.
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Cynthia Cox KFF Read Cynthia’s biography.
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Taylor Cook Audio Producer Stephanie Stapleton Editor
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