A new blog looks at the impact on community health centers and the patients they serve if the Affordable Care Act is repealed. This fall, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments in California et al. v Texas et al and decide on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate and the future of the law. Repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would eliminate the Medicaid expansion for low-income adults, subsidized Marketplace health insurance, and the Community Health Center Fund. Eliminating Medicaid and Marketplace coverage would result in a revenue loss of $3.5 billion in a single year, which translates into closure of 1,432 service delivery sites, and reductions of 3.4 million patients, 14.2 million visits, and nearly 29,000 full-time equivalent staff. These estimates understate the total impact of ACA repeal, since they do not include the revenue impact of eliminating the Community Health Center Fund, which is also at risk.
The blog was produced by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative. The blog is available on GW Health Policy and Management Matters site or you can download a copy here.