Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Skip to main content
En Español
A A
Health First Colorado and CHP+ are going back to normal renewal processes.
Check your email, mail, and PEAK inbox. Take action when you get official messages. You can see your renewal date here at any time. If you get a renewal packet, make sure to fill it out. Make sure to also sign it and return it by the due date.
Learn more here

The ACA in 2024

By Jason B

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka “Obamacare” is nearing its 15th anniversary. The ACA has fundamentally transformed health coverage in America, but do most Americans really know what the ACA is and how it’s been implemented?

As of May 2024, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that about 62% of Americans hold a favorable opinion of the ACA. But it wasn’t always this way. As recently as 2015, the ACA polled unfavorably amongst Americans. The legislation was met with headwinds from both voters and the Republican Party before becoming as popular as it is today. In 2017, the late Senator John McCain saved the ACA from being repealed by the Trump Administration. At this point in the ACA’s life it had become quite popular, and removing coverage from millions of Americans had become a political football for conservatives in America.

Before the ACA was implemented, most Americans could be dropped from their insurance carriers for having a “pre-existing condition,” fewer Americans had access to Medicaid, and young adults were forced onto individual plans at age 18. Under the ACA, young adults can stay on their parents plan until age 26, your insurance carrier must cover you no matter what health conditions exist, and millions of Americans have access to Medicaid and CHIP/CHP+ plans.

While the ACA affected private insurance plans, one of the more understated pieces of legislation in the ACA was the expansion of Medicaid in the states. As of 2024, 40 states and the District Of Columbia have expanded access to Medicaid under the ACA, with North Carolina and South Dakota joining in 2023. While many conservative states initially rebuked the plan, most have now joined the rest of the states in expanding Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act allows Medicaid coverage to adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty level. For most states this has produced a net savings in health care costs. Because the federal government pays for the majority of expansion coverage, the states can raise revenue from taxes collected on private health care plans. This means the states spend significantly less on programs for substance use disorders (SUDs) and behavioral health. Read more about how the ACA works here.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states saw an influx of Medicaid users. Medicaid membership expanded dramatically from 2020 until 2023 under the Public Health Emergency (PHE). When the PHE ended In 2023, many states began to disenroll Medicaid users. This meant that many people lost their health care coverage, many without warning or notification. Since each state handles Medicaid enrollment differently, this meant millions of people were suddenly without health care coverage. Losing health care can result in increased emergency room visits, delays in seeking the care they need, and worsening health outcomes.

If you’ve recently lost health care coverage, or you’re worried that you could lose health care coverage, navigating the process can be difficult. It varies from state-to-state, but in Colorado you can call our AMES team, or Health First Colorado for more information. We have a team dedicated to helping you get the care you need.