Understanding the Affordable Care Act
Since the passage of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio has provided in-depth, non-partisan analysis of federal health care reform and its potential impact on Ohio.
HPIO resources
Health insurance marketplaces: What Ohioans can expect (July 2013) A policy brief (pdf, 8 pages) that explores how health insurance marketplaces will operate in Ohio and describes the Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) that will be offered in the marketplaces. The paper also describes the benefits that will be included in plans available through the individual market, the small group market and Medicaid.
Policy considerations for Medicaid expansion in Ohio (January 2013; revised 03/14/2013) A policy brief (pdf, 12 pages) that gives Ohio policymakers background information on the decision of whether to expand Ohio’s Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act.
Update on Ohio’s options for health insurance exchanges (October 2012) A policy brief (pdf, 8 pages) that updates Ohio’s options for planning for health insurance exchanges under the ACA in 2014.
An introduction to ‘essential health benefits’: Ohio’s role in determining services covered by insurance post-2014 (August 2012) A policy brief (pdf, 6 pages) that outlines Ohio’s options for setting standards for “essential health benefits” that small-group and individual insurance plans will have to offer starting in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act: A review of the decision and its impact on Ohio (July 2012) A policy brief (pdf, 8 pages) summarizing the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, with analysis of state options for expanding Medicaid coverage under the health reform law.
Ohio Medicaid Expansion Study
The Ohio Medicaid Expansion Study was conducted by a research partnership between the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, the Ohio State University, Regional Economic Models, Inc., and the Urban Institute. The research partners gratefully acknowledge funding from the Gund Foundation, Interact for Health (formerly the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati) and the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation. The views presented in the analysis are those of the authors and do represent the official position or opinions of the funders.
All material from the study, as well as subsequent analysis on Medicaid spending growth that was requested by Senators Burke and Cafaro, can be found on
Federal resources
- The Affordable Care Act language
- Healthcare.gov (formerly Healthreform.gov, the official federal government website for reform information)
- The Department of Health and Human Services federal marketplace website
- Whitehouse.gov ACA page
- Congressional Budget Office health-related analysis
Tools and guides
- Kaiser tax subsidy calculator
- Department of Health and Humans Services page: “How the Health Care Law is Making a Difference for the People of Ohio”
- A collection of short videos produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services explaining marketplace enrollment
- Kaiser Family Foundation brief: Five Things To Know About Obamacare Premiums: A Guide For The Perplexed
- Health Reform GPS (A project of George Washington University’s Hirsh Health Law and Policy Program and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
Independent/Non-profit resources
The following organizations have created pages with resources related to health reform
- Interact for Health (formerly Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati)
- Kaiser Family Foundation
- State Refor(u)m (A network, created by National Academy for State Health Policy, that is focused on state health reform implementation issues)
- National Conference of State Legislatures
- Robert Wood Johnson’s State Coverage Initiative
- The Commonwealth Fund
- Rand Corporation
- National Academy for State Health Policy
- American Public Health Association
- Enroll America
Media Resources
- HPIO resources
- Independent/Non-profit resources
- Media Resources
