MedPage Today January 16, 2026
Congress should solve the Medicaid gap and prioritize cost
For over a decade, the American health policy debate has been stuck in a loop, obsessively focused on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While the political battles rage over this specific slice of the pie, we risk missing the forest for the trees.
The reality is that the ACA marketplaces cover about 25 million Americans, or less than 10% of the population. Meanwhile, the vast majority of Americans rely on employer-sponsored insurance (55%), Medicare (19%), or Medicaid (21%).
By fixating on the mechanics of the ACA marketplaces, we ignore the broader healthcare market. As 2026 begins and Congress is once again negotiating healthcare plans, it is time to face a hard...
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