Study: Most states implementing ‘major’ aspects of ACA

With approximately 3 million Americans having some form of insurance benefits as a result of the Affordable Care Act, according to government data, states have taken a variety of different steps to put the tenants of the healthcare reform law into effect, according to a recent report.

The analysis, which was completed by nonpartisan public policy organization the Commonwealth Fund, found most of the states have instituted fundamental components of the ACA. Only five states – including Missouri – do not have any of the law’s most substantial components in effect.

Additionally, among those that have put the tenets of the law in place, most have gone about it in different ways. For example, more than 30 states have legislation that forbids insurers from denying someone for pre-existing conditions and 16 have established their own exchanges rather than utilizing the federal government’s.

“It’s very encouraging that nearly all states have taken some steps toward implementing or enforcing the Affordable Care Act,” said Sara Collins, vice president of the Commonwealth Fund. “Already we can see the positive impact of their efforts as millions of people are gaining health insurance coverage through expanded Medicaid and the health insurance marketplaces.”

Where state exchanges are established, they routinely release the latest numbers for how many people have signed up for coverage. Kynect in Kentucky, MNsure in Minnesota and Access Health CT in Connecticut are a few of them.