Public Issues Series: The Affordable Care Act-Aftermath and Consequences

What lies ahead for Affordable Health Care Act?
WIPPS Fellow and health care expert:

As part of our mission to educate and inform the public on tough issues that impact all of us, the spring Public Issues Series on April 6 featured WIPPS Senior Policy Fellow Dr. Marty Finkler who discussed, “The Affordable Care Act (ACA): Aftermath and Consequences.”

Much confusion and misinformation surrounds the ACA. A survey conducted in early 2017 by Morning Consult found that 35 percent of respondents either thought Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act were different policies (17 percent) or didn’t know if they were the same or different (18 percent). Younger people age 18-29 and those making less than $50,000 were found to be more confused about the law – and these two groups stand to be more affected by a repeal.

“Few issues in recent years have ignited as much political debate as the creation of the Affordable Care Act,” said Finkler, who retired in June 2016 after 37 years as a professor at Lawrence University in Appleton. An economics professor noted for his involvement in health policy and the economics of medical care, Finkler became a WIPPS senior fellow in economic policy in 2016.

Through a series of bar charts, eye-opening statistics and detailed examples of different health care coverage scenarios, Dr. Finkler gave attendees an “everything you wanted to know but couldn’t quite put into words” primer on what Americans are currently facing in an often confusing world of health care.

The Public Issues Series is made possible through the support of Dean and C. Ann Dietrich and Kevin and Wendy Hermening. Dietrich and Hermening are two Wausau businessmen who are committed to open, civil and nonpartisan dialogue.

To suggest future speakers for this annual program, email info@wipps.org.

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