title: How Will the Affordable Care Act's Cost-Sharing Reductions Affect Consumers' Out-of-Pocket Costs in 2016?
abstract: Health insurers selling plans in the Affordable Care Act's market­places are required to reduce cost-sharing in silver plans for low- and moderate-income people earning between 100 percent and 250 percent of the federal pov­erty level. In 2016, as many as 7 million Americans may have plans with these cost-sharing reductions. In the largest markets in the 38 states using the federal website for marketplace enrollment, the cost-sharing reductions substantially lower projected out-of-pocket costs for people who qualify for them. However, the degree to which consumers' out-of-pocket spending will fall varies by plan and how much health care they use. This is because insurers use deductibles, out-of-pocket limits, and copayments in different combinations to lower cost-sharing for eligible enrollees. In 2017, marketplace insurers will have the option of offering standard plans, which may help simplify consumers' choices and lead to more equal cost-sharing.
authors.affiliation: The Commonwealth Fund. src@cmwf.org
authors.forename: Sara R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Munira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gunja
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beutel
mesh_terms: D017047:Cost Sharing / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D003669:Deductibles and Coinsurance / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062265:Health Insurance Exchanges; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007348:Insurance, Health; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000191:economics*; D011203:Poverty; D014481:United States