As we move into 2019, Congress should act to extend federal subsidies for private health insurance purchased through the government’s marketplace. The costs of health care are on the rise in the US, and the high cost of insurance can drive people to forgo preventive care and essential medicines. This problem affects women, people of color, and households with low incomes disproportionately. The federal subsidies should be extended or made permanent, but Congress needs to act now.
These policies are needed to improve the access and quality of health care for all Americans. The American Academy of Family Physicians’ (AAFP) policy calls for expanding the availability of health coverage to all Americans. The Academy views health care as a basic human right, and advocates for timely, affordable, and high quality care. It recommends policy changes that increase coverage and reduce the administrative burden on the health care system. Further, the AAFP supports the APC-APM payment model, which will better support small practices while reducing the administrative burden on the health care system.