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The biggest success of the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid Expansion, is at risk
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By Arielle Kane, Director of Health Care at the Progressive Policy Institute
Twelve years ago, Congress approved, and President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. And what started as a small program that provided health coverage to people on cash assistance was cemented as the most impactful health insurance program: Medicaid.
Medicaid was first approved in 1965 as a part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s great society. While Medicare provided health coverage to seniors, Medicaid was envisioned as a more limited program for low-income pregnant women and people with disabilities. But over the forthcoming decades, it’s been expanded and reformed to become the largest health insurance program in the country: covering 80 million lives, paying for nearly half of all births, and protecting 10 million people with disabilities in addition to millions more who need long-term care.
During the pandemic, Medicaid and the ACA served as a safety net as many people lost jobs. Though the pandemic led to huge economic and employment downturns, the number of uninsured people actually fell by 0.6 million, or 1.9%.This was in stark contrast to the Great Recession of 2008-2009 when 9.3 million people lost their jobs and, subsequently, their health insurance. This time, safety net programs like Medicaid and subsidies available through the ACA kept people from losing health care coverage. Medicaid and CHIP enrollment increased to 83.2 million, up nearly 18% since February of 2020 and enrollment in Marketplace plans increased from 11.4 million in 2020 to 14.5 million in 2022. This was largely in part to the expanded subsidies pushed by the Biden administration and approved through the American Rescue Plan.
But all this progress is now in jeopardy.
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PPI in the News
What the Ukraine War Means for the Future of Climate Change
⮕ The New York Times
Startup Backers Eye China Competition Bill to Add New Visa
Inflation is at a 40-year high. Is clean energy the solution?
⮕ Grist
Energy déjà vu
⮕ POLITICO
Maryland needs its nuclear power | Opinion
⮕ Washington Post
⮕ Read the Report
'Groundhog Day': Biden, GOP revive decades-old energy fight
⮕ E&E News
What Manchin's fossil fuel kick means for climate legislation
⮕ E&E News
Could Ukraine war help end west's reliance on hydrocarbons?
⮕ The Guardian
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In this week’s episode of Mosaic Moment, PPI’s Director of Health Care, Arielle Kane, sits down with Dr. Sarah Oh Lam from the Technology Policy Institute to discuss the benefits and barriers to telehealth services. In a recent blog post Arielle writes, “Without addressing barriers like unequal broadband distribution and limited access to video-capable devices, telehealth won’t live up to its potential.” Dr. Oh Lam lends her expertise in broadband, exploring policy recommendations that would expand internet access and promote digital literacy. While Arielle, discusses what lawmakers can do to ensure telehealth patients get the highest quality care possible.
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The fourth entry in our Liberalism Around the World series is here, focusing on Brazil! Jeremiah is joined by the executive director of Livres, Magno Karl, as well as the Neoliberal Brazil chapter lead Fernando Moreno. How does Brazil's history of authoritarianism influence their politics? What are the most important issues facing Brazil today, and what are the liberal solutions to those issues? What's the best strategy for liberals to make a difference in Brazil?
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RAS on the POD
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project recently released a new podcast series on “The Future of Teaching” recorded at the SXSW EDU Conference in Austin, Texas.
In this four-part series, RAS Co-Director Curtis Valentine sits down with pioneers in the field of education and innovation to discuss pragmatic solutions to disrupt racial inequities in K-12 schools, reshape school leadership for the future, and strengthen teacher professional development.
“The Future of Teaching” podcast series includes interviews with:
- Episode 1: Disrupting Racial Inequities in K-12 Schools with Tequilla Brownie, CEO of The New Teacher Project
- Episode 2: Reshaping School Leadership for the Future (Pt. 1) with Jean Desravines, CEO of New Leaders
- Episode 3: Reshaping School Leadership for the Future (Pt. 2) with Dr. Lisa Herring, Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools
- Episode 4: How Can We Save Teacher Professional Development with Sarah Johnson, CEO of Teaching Lab
Listen here and subscribe:
The podcast was recorded in partnership with The 74 Million.
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