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Mark Duggan. Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. The Economic Impact of the Affordable Care Act. Key Economic Impacts of the ACA. + Less “job lock” + Lower tax on small business + Slower growth in health care costs
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Mark Duggan Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania The Economic Impact of the Affordable Care Act
Key Economic Impacts of the ACA + Less “job lock” + Lower tax on small business + Slower growth in health care costs + Lower federal deficit & higher wage growth • Phase-out of subsidies in exchanges • Increase in marginal tax rates • Employer mandate thresholds • 50 full-time workers and 30 hours for full-time
Which Dominates Important Given Employment Trends Employment-to-Population Ratio for U.S. Residents Ages 16+ (BLS)
Will ACA Slow Growth in Health Care Costs? • Consider first Medicare + Medicaid • 6.4% of GDP in 2012 (CMS estimates) • ACA Medicare changes lower spending • Projected to be lower by $117 billion in 2022 • ACA Medicaid expansions almost offsets • Increased by $94 billion in 2022 • M&M account for 7.8% of GDP by 2022 • Compared with 7.9% without ACA
ACA Effects on Private Health Insurance • Excise tax on high-cost plans begins in 2018 • 40% tax beyond threshold • Threshold grows at CPI after 2020 • Lowers premium growth and increases wage growth • Health insurance exchanges • Bronze (AV=.6), silver (.7), gold (.8), platinum (.9) • Many insurers offer several plans within area • Enrollees pay full price difference b/w plans • Stimulates insurer competition
Will Exchanges Realize their Promise? • Bumpy start for federal and state exchanges • Enrollment lower than expected • Similar design to Medicare Part D • Also bumpy rollout but now largely considered a success • Increased coverage and lowered RX prices • Some key issues on horizon • Regulating breadth of provider networks • How optimally to risk-adjust? • Smoothing transitions to/from Medicaid and ESI • When to adjust subsidies after promotion, job loss, etc.