The Fix for Affordable Care Act Losses is Allowing Alternatives: Miranda Spindt in RealClearHealth
By modernizing state laws on alternative health care models, lawmakers can give families real choices instead of impossible tradeoffs.
In her new op-ed for RealClearHealth, Health and Human Services Task Force Director Miranda Spindt explains how states can expand access to health care alternatives in response to millions of Americans facing higher premiums or the prospect of losing coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
ACA Marketplace premiums skyrocketed for many enrollees this year after temporary enhanced federal subsidies expired. The number of people signing up during the open enrollment period fell by 1.2 million, and more cancelled in the first few months after seeing their monthly payments. It is projected that potentially 5.8 million people will lose their coverage in 2026.
Many families are choosing to drop their coverage and risk having no coverage at all like the Tobiassen’s in North Carolina. But this is actually a false choice. Multiple affordable alternatives can provide access to routine care and financial protection against unexpected medical expenses.
Personally, I chose a direct primary care (DPC) clinic—a membership model where patients pay a flat monthly fee instead of billing insurance—for my everyday needs. I paired it with a health share plan—a nonprofit community where members voluntarily share one another’s medical expenses—for unexpected, high-cost events.
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These models aren’t meant to be a perfect fit or replace traditional insurance for everyone, but they should be available for anyone who would benefit from them. As millions of people are priced out of health insurance, states should not stand in the way of alternative options. By modernizing state laws on alternative health care models, lawmakers can give families real choices instead of impossible tradeoffs.