Washington, D.C. — Today, the Congressional Budget Office released its analysis of the Build Back Better Act’s health care provisions, including closing the Medicaid coverage gap and making the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credit enhancements permanent. The CBO found that 3.9 million uninsured Americans would gain coverage and 7.6 million people total would enroll in subsidized insurance under the ACA and Medicaid.
The Build Back Better’s provisions to strengthen the ACA and Medicaid addresses the needs of many low-wage workers whose employers charge too much for limited coverage, forcing families to make impossible decisions between paying for health care and paying for food or rent. Over the past decade, premiums for low-wage workers have increased at a significantly higher rate than wages. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“The CBO’s analysis clearly shows that the Build Back Better Act will have a substantial impact on the health and financial well-being of millions of Americans. Four million uninsured Americans would gain health insurance and millions more would pay less for coverage. The health care measures are already the most popular provisions in the bill, and it is essential that each policy remains in its full form in the final agreement. We commend Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Pallone and Chairman Neal, and House Democrats for leading the charge to make health care a right for every American.”