A letter from the Congressional Budget Office found that expanding the ACA — including tax credits, eligibility and Medicaid programs in holdout states — would cost $553 billion.
The price tag would extend coverage to 4 million people, according to the Oct. 19 letter.
The coverage figure comes from an estimated increase in Medicaid (4 million) and subsidized nongroup enrollment (3.6 million), as well as a decrease in unsubsidized nongroup enrollment (1 million) and employment-based coverage (2.8 million).
According to the letter, the estimated $553 billion deficit tied to the move would span between 2022 and 2031.
The estimates are tied to current proposals to extend subsidy eligibility to those with incomes between 100 percent and 138 percent below the federal poverty line, increase education and outreach, and expand Medicaid programs in holdout states over a nine-year roadmap.