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The Economic Benefits of
the Affordable Care Act
Jason Furman
Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers

Center for American Progress
April 2, 2015
1

The Affordable Care Act Has Driven the
Nation’s Uninsured Rate to the Lowest Level Ever
Percent of Population Without Health Insurance, 1963-2015:Q1
Percent
25

20

Creation of Expansion of
Medicare & Medicare &
Medicaid to
Medicaid
People with
Disabilities

ACA 1st Open
Enrollment

15

10

5

0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Source: CEA analysis of National Health Interview Survey, Cohen et al. (2009), Klemm (2000), and CMS (2009); ASPE analysis of NHIS and Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data
through March 4, 2015.
Note: Data are quarterly starting in 2014:Q1. Data for earlier years are generally either annual or bi-annual. The NHIS is the best tool for studying trends in insurance coverage, but
because NHIS data are not currently available after 2014:Q3, Gallup data are used to extrapolate the uninsured rate through 2015:Q1.

2

Improved Health Among the Newly Insured
May Have Major Labor Market Benefits
Percent of Working Age Adults Employed by Health Status
Percent of adults ages 25-64 who are employed
100
90
80
70

60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Poor

Fair

Good

Very good

Excellent

Self-reported health status
Source: Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2014.

3

The Affordable Care Act is Helping to
Reduce Job Lock, Especially For Young Workers
Young Adult Uninsured Rates, 1997:Q1-2013:Q4
Percent uninsured
40
Young adults (ages 19-25)

35

2013:Q4

30
25

20
Slightly older adults (26-35)
15
10

Dependent
Coverage
Expansion

5
0
1997

1999

Source: National Health Interview Survey; CEA calculations.

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2013
4

The Affordable Care Act’s Coverage Expansion is Boosting Aggregate Demand
Change in Health Care Services Employment
Year-over-year percentage job gain
3.5
3.0

States with below median
2014 coverage gains

2.5

Main ACA
Coverage
Provisions
Took Effect

Feb-15

2.0
1.5
1.0

States with above median
2014 coverage gains

0.5
0.0
2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index; CEA calculations.
Note: In most states, we include only employment in the health care services industry. For seven states, health care services employment is reported jointly with social assistance
employment, and for these states we use the broader category. No data are available for New Mexico.

5

Health Care Prices Have Been Rising at the Slowest Pace in Nearly 50 Years

Health Care Price Inflation versus Overall Inflation
Year-over-year inflation rate
14
12

Health care
goods and services

10

8
6
Feb-15

4
2

All consumer
goods and services

0
-2
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis; CEA calculations.

6

Health Care Spending Per Enrollee Has Grown
Exceptionally Slowly in Both the Public and Private Sectors
Growth in Real Per Enrollee Spending by Payer
Average annual percent growth
7
6
5

5.5

5.2

2000-2007
2007-2010

4.2

4

2010-2013

3
2

2.4
1.4

1

0.4

0
-1
-1.0

-2
Private Insurance

Medicare

Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Bureau of Economic Analysis; CEA calculations.

-0.5 -0.6
Medicaid

7

The Quality of Care Received by Hospital Patients Has Improved Since 2010,
Corresponding to 50,000 Avoided Deaths
Change in Rate of Patient Harm in U.S. Hospitals
Percent change in harm rate since 2010
0

0%
-2%

-5

-10

-9%

-15
-17%

-20
2010
Source: Agency for Health Care Research and Quality; CEA calculations.

2011

2012

2013
8

The Average Family Premium in Job-Based Coverage is About $1,800 Below
the 2000-2010 Trend and Savings Could Grow in the Years Ahead
Average Premiums for Employer-Based Family Coverage
Thousands of 2014 $
26

Return to
2000-2010 Trend

24

22
20

Extrapolation of
2000-2010 Trend

18
16
14
2010

Continue 2014
Growth Rate

Actual through 2014

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Education Trust, Employer Health Benefits Survey; Bureau of Economic Analysis; CEA calculations.

9

Deductibles Have Increased in Recent Years,
but No Faster than Before the Affordable Care Act
Average Deductible in Job-Based Single Coverage
2014 $
1200

ACA
Enacted

1000
800

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey,
Insurance Component

600
400
200
0
2002

KFF/HRET Employer
Health Benefits Survey

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Education Trust, Employer Health Benefits Survey; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel
Survey; Bureau of Economic Analysis; CEA calculations.

10

Premium Growth has Slowed Even More Sharply
for Workers Than For Employers
Growth in Family Premiums for Job-Based Coverage
Annual percent growth, adjusted for inflation
10
9

2000-2010

8

7.2

2010-2014

7
6

5.6
5.1

5
4

3.4

3.0

3.5

3
2
1
0
Total
premium

Worker's
contribution

Employer's
contribution

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Education Trust, Employer Health Benefits Survey; Bureau of Economic Analysis; CEA calculations.

11

The ACA and CBO’s Sharp Reductions in Health Care Spending Have Cut the
Long-run Deficit Forecast More Than in Half
CBO Projections of Spending on Major Health Care Programs
Percent of GDP

6.25
August 2010 CBO Projections

5.75

5.25

March 2015 CBO Projections
(incl. actuals through FY14)

4.75

4.25
2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

Source: Congressional Budget Office; CEA calculations.
Note: The August 2010 GDP estimates have been adjusted for major NIPA revisions in the summer of 2013. Without these revisions, the decline since August 2010 would be larger.

12