But the benefits were not evenly distributed. Families making up to 138% of the federal poverty level spent, on average $160 less on healthcare after the ACA. Families making more than 400% of the poverty level spent around $281 dollars more per year. I should note that this doesn’t include the added cost of some ACA-associated taxes that affected higher income earners.

These numbers may not seem that impressive, but consider two factors. First, healthcare expenditures had been increasing in the run-up to the ACA, so even a modest decrease is somewhat encouraging. Second, even if there were no changes in healthcare spending, 6.5% more of the US population became insured in the two years after the ACA.

So did the Affordable Care Act make care more affordable? For some people, yes, but perhaps that’s not the main point.

Dr. Goldman again: