After a marathon weekend session, on August 7 the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a $740 billion reconciliation package. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill by August 12. The IRA includes significant climate change and deficit reduction policies, as well as provisions to improve the affordability of healthcare for Medicare and Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace enrollees.

The IRA provides state health officials with long-anticipated policy stability—and consumers with much needed premium relief—as they plan for the 2023 enrollment season. In her latest Expert Perspective for the State Health & Value Strategies project, CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette reviews the healthcare provisions of the IRA and their implications for state programs. Read the full article here.