Update on the Affordable Care Act

Administration officials continue to attempt to hobble the Affordable Care Act (ACA), even though neither the Republican party nor Trump officials offer an alternative or replacement. The 1.1 million Texans who signed up for 2018 coverage through the Act may not be able to count on their health care coverage, despite the fact that the Act has increased the proportion of insured Texans by six percentage points and achieved even higher coverage increases for financially vulnerable groups, including those approaching retirement, Hispanics, persons with poor health and those for whom a high school diploma is their highest level of educational attainment. Of the more than 1.3 million Texans covered through ACA Marketplace plans at the end of 2016, 84 percent qualified for a tax credit and 73 percent paid less than $75 per month for their plan. In fact, the average premium tax credit was valued at $271 in 2016, for a total of nearly $3 billion in federal funds coming into the state. Recal