442K In MA Could Lose Health Coverage As ACA Hits Supreme Court

Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents could lose health insurance and the state could lose billions in federal health care dollars if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Affordable Care Act, according to a new report.

The analysis by The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation came a day before the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the latest challenge on the ACA Tuesday. President Trump has sought for years to dismantle the program, also known as Obamacare.

The number of uninsured people in Massachusetts would more than double from 246,000 to 668,000 — an increase of 422,000 — if the ACA is overturned and the state's subsidized coverage programs are eliminated, according to the report. The share of uninsured people under the age of 65 would nearly triple from 4.4 to 12 percent.

The state could also lose $3.3 billion in annual federal health care funding — money that allows the state to offer subsidized health coverage.

Even if the ACA is struck down and the subsidized programs survive, the number of uninsured Massachusetts resident will still grow by 69,000 people. The state would lose up to $2.1 billion a year in lost federal funds, while state spending would have to increase by $988 million — or 24 percent of what is currently spent.

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The report said strong health coverage infrastructure and prioritization could help insulate Massachusetts from a potential disaster.

"Massachusetts has a longstanding commitment to health insurance coverage and has successfully collaborated with various stakeholders to develop policies and programs that support access to health insurance coverage," the report said. "This shared responsibility and commitment enabled Massachusetts to achieve the highest insurance rate in the country even before the ACA was in place, and to maintain that status through the present day. Therefore, even if the court were to overturn the ACA, history suggests that Massachusetts would make every effort to mitigate the impacts in order to maintain its near-universal coverage."