How Obamacare Helps Hospitals Battle the Pandemic
by Stephanie Goldberg at CRANES Chicago Business
By expanding the state's Medicaid program and establishing a health insurance marketplace for uninsured individuals, the ACA increased the number of people in Illinois with health insurance by more than 800,000. An unknown additional number have gained coverage under ACA provisions banning insurers from rejecting people based on pre-existing conditions and allowing young adults to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26.
Coverage could be expanded if President Donald Trump authorizes a special sign-up period for those in need of health insurance amid the coronavirus pandemic, a step the administration is considering.
Without the ACA, local hospitals would incur even more unreimbursed costs providing free care to patients that might otherwise qualify for Medicaid.