Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health held a media briefing on January 22, 2026, to discuss the future of health insurance coverage in the United States, with a focus on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the expiration of COVID-era premium subsidies, and proposals to shift support toward health savings-style accounts.
Topics discussed:
Current state of ACA coverage and the expiration of COVID-era premium subsidies.
How proposals to add money to health savings accounts compare with extending ACA subsidies.
How “Health Freedom Accounts” or other HSA-focused proposals might work in practice and who would benefit.
Impacts on people who do not rely on the ACA, including downstream impacts for those with employer-sponsored coverage, as well as Medicare and Medicaid.
Insights from:
Gerard Anderson, PhD, a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His research focuses on health care spending, Medicare and Medicaid policy, and the management of chronic conditions. He is a member of the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board.
Elizabeth Fowler, PhD, a distinguished scholar in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on advancing innovative payment and care delivery models in Medicare and Medicaid to promote value-based care.
Resources:
How New Federal Legislation Will Affect Health Care Costs and Access for Americans
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-changes-coming-to-the-aca-medicaid-and-medicare
What’s Behind Rising Health Insurance Costs?
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/whats-behind-rising-health-insurance-costs
The Potential Impacts of Cuts To Medicaid
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-potential-impacts-of-cuts-to-medicaid
Public Health On Call: The New Reality Facing Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA
https://podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/936-the-new-reality-facing-medicare-medicaid-and-the-aca
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
01:20 How ACA plans differ from employer-sponsored plans
04:05 Why giving people money is not the same as having health insurance
06:36 What is causing health costs to rise
08:40 Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement plans
09:34 Impact on hospitals
12:05 Should health insurers absorb costs from loss of ACA subsidies
13:34 Impact in rural areas
16:00 Advice for people who are uninsured
18:20 Effects on primary care
20:44 Impacts on getting preventative care
22:50 Advice for consumers where ACA enrollment is still active
26:55 How the U.S. health system compares to other countries
29:50 Closing remarks
https://publichealth.jhu.edu
instagram.com/JohnsHopkinsSPH
facebook.com/JohnsHopkinsSPH
twitter.com/johnshopkinssph
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health held a media briefing on January 22, 2026, to discuss the future of health insurance coverage in the United States, with a focus on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the expiration of COVID-era premium subsidies, and proposals to shift support toward health savings-style accounts.
Topics discussed:
Current state of ACA coverage and the expiration of COVID-era premium subsidies.
How proposals to add money to health savings accounts compare with extending ACA subsidies.
How “Health Freedom Accounts” or other HSA-focused proposals might work in practice and who would benefit.
Impacts on people who do not rely on the ACA, including downstream impacts for those with employer-sponsored coverage, as well as Medicare and Medicaid.
Insights from:
Gerard Anderson, PhD, a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His research focuses on health care spending, Medicare and Medicaid policy, and the management of chronic conditions. He is a member of the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board.
Elizabeth Fowler, PhD, a distinguished scholar in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on advancing innovative payment and care delivery models in Medicare and Medicaid to promote value-based care.
Resources:
How New Federal Legislation Will Affect Health Care Costs and Access for Americans
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-changes-coming-to-the-aca-medicaid-and-medicare
What’s Behind Rising Health Insurance Costs?
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/whats-behind-rising-health-insurance-costs
The Potential Impacts of Cuts To Medicaid
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-potential-impacts-of-cuts-to-medicaid
Public Health On Call: The New Reality Facing Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA
https://podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/936-the-new-reality-facing-medicare-medicaid-and-the-aca
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
01:20 How ACA plans differ from employer-sponsored plans
04:05 Why giving people money is not the same as having health insurance
06:36 What is causing health costs to rise
08:40 Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement plans
09:34 Impact on hospitals
12:05 Should health insurers absorb costs from loss of ACA subsidies
13:34 Impact in rural areas
16:00 Advice for people who are uninsured
18:20 Effects on primary care
20:44 Impacts on getting preventative care
22:50 Advice for consumers where ACA enrollment is still active
26:55 How the U.S. health system compares to other countries
29:50 Closing remarks
https://publichealth.jhu.edu
instagram.com/JohnsHopkinsSPH
facebook.com/JohnsHopkinsSPH
twitter.com/johnshopkinssph
