Affordable Care Act

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare, and is the landmark federal health reform legislation signed into law in March 2010. Much of the ACA was modeled on Massachusetts’ groundbreaking healthcare reform law of 2006. MHA engages with congressional leaders and their staffs to bring MHA’s and our members’ unique experience and perspective to the fore as the ACA is implemented, assessed and revised.
09.03.2018  | GOP Pre-Existing Condition Bill Faces Unclear Path
Nearly a dozen Republican senators introduced legislation to bar health insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions.
02.19.2018  | The Trump HHS Budget for Fiscal 2019
Last Monday, the Trump Administration released its FY2019 budget proposal.
02.12.2018  | New National Group to Address Big Healthcare Issues
A new healthcare policy/advocacy group – United States of Care – launched last week.
01.18.2018  | What’s On Tap on Capitol Hill
In Washington, the Senate returned last week and the House follows this week.
12.11.2017  | Current, and Future, Tax Bill Concerns
The House and Senate tax bills now moving to conference committee each contain provisions that are of concern to hospitals.
11.20.2017  | Yet Another Attempt to Dismantle the ACA
The U.S. House passed a $1.5 trillion tax cut bill last Thursday while the U.S. Senate continued work on its own tax cut proposal.
11.06.2017  | House Passes CHIP Bill, But Its Future is Unclear
The U.S. House on Friday passed legislation to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for five years.
10.23.2017  | Dithering on CSRs Results in Premium Spike
A key Senate Republican, Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) worked this week to show President Donald Trump that the bill Alexander crafted with Democrat Patty Murray (D-Wash.) helps consumers – not insurers – by funding cost-sharing reductions (CSR).
10.13.2017  | Statement from MHA President & CEO Lynn Nicholas on Trump administration’s insurance announcements
Statement from Lynn Nicholas, MHA President & CEO, on the Trump administration’s federal insurance changes
10.13.2017  | MHA President & CEO Lynn Nicholas statement on AG Maura Healey joining CSR lawsuit
Statement from Lynn Nicholas, MHA President & CEO, on AG Maura Healey joining CSR lawsuit against the Trump administration.
10.09.2017  | Good First Steps this Week for CHIP and DSH Funding
Two big priorities for the Massachusetts healthcare community – preserving the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and stalling Medicaid cuts to disproportionate share hospitals – were helped this week by Congressional action.
10.03.2017  | SB499-HB536, HB502 Contraceptive Coverage, Interpreter Services
MHA supports SB499/HB536 which seeks to guarantee women access to preventive health care, including contraception coverage, without co-pays. MHA strongly supports HB502, which requires MassHealth, its contractors, and all private insurers to adequa
10.02.2017  | Uncertainty on Subsidies Roils Insurance Market
Republican Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) and Ranking Democrat Patty Murray (Wash.) were investigating ways to fund the cost-sharing subsidies that help lower-income people afford co-pays and deductibles on health plans they buy through insurance e
10.02.2017  | As Repeal Was Debated, Other Critical Issues Loomed
MHA is concerned about federal Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding provided to states to support those hospitals that cover a large percentage of Medicaid recipients.
09.25.2017  | ACA Repeal Effort – Opposed by Many – May Be Stalled
The latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – through the so called Graham-Cassidy bill – would be, according to analyses from across the political spectrum, devastating to Massachusetts.
09.11.2017  | Federal Medicaid DSH Advocacy Continues
This week, the Massachusetts House Congressional delegation sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price urging that the Trump Administration not move forward on proposed cuts to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) f
09.11.2017  | A Call for Stability on Cost-Sharing Reductions
Governor Charlie Baker testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Thursday, arguing in favor of continuing the cost-sharing reductions that are included in the Affordable Care Act and that help insur
09.04.2017  | An Important September Hearing
On Sept. 6 and 7, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will host hearings on stabilizing premiums and helping individuals in the individual insurance market for 2018.
08.21.2017  | CBO Report: Short-Term, Long-Term Effects of Subsidy Cuts
If the Trump Administration ends the Affordable Care Act’s cost-sharing reductions that help insurance companies provide lower income people with more affordable plans, premiums for that population would increase 20% in 2018, and the number of uninsu
07.31.2017  | Senate’s ACA Repeal Effort Begins, Stalls, Eventually Fails
Early on Friday morning the U.S. Senate voted down the latest effort – termed “skinny repeal” – to dramatically alter the Affordable Care Act.

Resources

Click on the links below for easy access to information on important federal healthcare matters and MHA’s advocacy, outreach and other work on these issues.

Both of these include links to members list, committees, and legislation and records.