Implementing and Improving on the Affordable Care Act
Making the Full Promise of Health Reform Real
Since its inception, Health Access has focused on expanding health coverage through public programs, employer-based benefits, or a universal, single-payer proposal. Throughout its history, Health Access has worked to advance comprehensive health reforms and the vision of quality, affordable, universal health care for all Californians.
Under the Trump Administration, we faced multiple existential threats to the health coverage, but together we were able to protect the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and with it, the health care coverage of tens of millions of Californians.
President Biden and Vice President Harris are now committed to building on and expanding health care coverage, using the ACA as a framework. There are many exciting possibilities under the new Administration including enhanced premium subsides to purchase health care coverage, making health care more affordable than ever. This is key to keeping Californians covered, especially during this health and economic crisis created by COVID-19 where many people are losing their jobs and their health care coverage.
Health Access has been working to:
- Support and improve Medi-Cal and Covered California, key pillars of our health system.
- Monitor the industry response to health reform and work to prevent loopholes or unintended consequences in insurance market reforms, consumer protections, or other aspects of the ACA.
- Continue to promote the ACA and California’s progress in implementing and improving on it and prevent efforts to undo its key guarantees and protections.
- Secure our victories in California, from Covered California’s active purchasing authority and standardized benefits, to efforts at increased inclusion.
- Defend the integrity of core federal health programs, Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA, and fend off political attacks, privatization, defunding, and other problems.
- Improve the benefits of “Obamacare” in both public programs and private coverage, including affordable vision and dental options.
- Shift the state and national conversation from a debate about whether the ACA should exist to one about the ongoing reforms and improvements that are still needed.
- Develop ideas and seek opportunities to advance federal improvements to the ACA and other key federal health laws, from advancing 1332 waiver concepts to efforts toward positive federal legislative and administrative changes. This would include improved affordability, and improved financing while mitigating against mechanisms like the excise tax that discourage comprehensive benefits.
- Continue to secure the “fair share” contribution of employers into our health system, to better secure and expand coverage for working families, to protect taxpayers and ensure the sustainability of our health system for the long-term, and to promote fairness and a level playing field for employers who offer health benefits but compete against those who don’t.
- Support reforms that improve our health system to be more universal, progressively financed, cost-effective, streamlined and efficient, comprehensive, and prevention-oriented, helping to advance the principles and the goal of a single-payer system. Support both a single-payer health system and help articulate, develop and support steps to such a reform.
- Advance the spirit of health reform as an ongoing effort.
Learn More
Health Access Analysis & Advocacy under the Trump Administration
- FACTSHEET: WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
- BLOG: Election Results: The Trump Presidency and the Threat to Health Care
- More advocacy items can be found under our #Fight4OurHealth campaign
Health Access Analysis & Advocacy (2013-2016)
- Sign-On Letter to CoveredCA in Support of the Draft Application for Section 1332 Waiver (September 2016)
- SB 10 (Lara) #Health4All: Health Access/California Immigrant Policy Center fact sheet (March 2016)
- Blog Post: The ACA Turns 6: Reflections from California for the 2016 Presidential Election Year (March 2016)
- Section 1332 of ACA: Options and Opportunities for CA (February 2016)
- SB4 #Health4All: Health Access/California Immigrant Policy Center fact sheet (May 2015)
- Next Steps in Health Reform: From Obamacare to Health4All and Beyond Powerpoint presentation (April 2015)
- Five Years into the Affordable Care Act: California Leads the Way (March 2015)
- The ACA and California: What’s New, What’s Next, What’s Left To Do? Powerpoint presentation (January 2015)
- Mission Advanced but not Accomplished: Four Years of Health Reform in CA (May 2014)
- California Implementing & Improving the ACA: EXPANDING MEDICAID (MEDI-CAL) (September 2013)
- California Implementing & Improving the ACA: INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE REFORM (September 2013)
- Continuing California’s Commitment to the Remaining Uninsured (May 2013)
- A Joint Statement on Extending LIHPs to Provide a Medical Home for the Remaining Uninsured (May 2013)
Health Access Analysis & Advocacy (2012 and Older)
- Year in Review for California Health Care: Looking Back & Ahead to 2013 (December 2012)
- Health Access 25th Anniversary: Program Summary (2012)
- What Happens to California Health Reform Laws if the ACA is Repealed? (June 2012)
- The Affordable Care Act in California: After Two Years – Big Benefits, More Work to Do (March 2012)
- Health Reform in CA: 2011 in Review – Big Early Benefits, Continued Progress to Get Ready (November 2011)
- THE FACES OF THE NEW HEALTH LAW: One Year Later, Californians Are Taking Advantage of the New Options and Benefits of the Affordable Care Act (March 2011)
- Testimony of Anthony Wright to Institute of Medicine on Essential Benefits (March 2011)
- Health Reform: 9 Month Status Report (December 2010)
- Health Reform: 6 Month Status Report (November 2010)
- California Families Cannot Afford Repeal (October 2010)
- Health Reform: 3 Month Status Report (June 2010)
- What Does Health Reform Mean for the Coverage of California’s Families (March 2010)
- The Need for Federal Health Reform: Central Valley Perspective (March 2010)
- Will the US Senate Choose to Make Coverage Affordable in California (March 2010)
- The Top 10 List of What We Are close to Winning in Health Reform (January 2010)
- National Health Reform and California (December 2009)
- Health Reform in California: The Need is Greater (January 2009)
- Removing Barriers to Coverage (December 2008)