The ACAs cost-sharing reduction plans: A key to affordable health coverage for millions of U.S. workers

Jon Gabel et al., The Commonwealth Fund, October 2016 "Cost-sharing reduction (CSR), a somewhat less well-known feature of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), allows low- and moderate-income households to use health care services at a much lower cost. Primary care visit copayments for employer-based plans averaged $24 in 2015, and copayments for specialty care visits were $37. [...]on average, CSR 94 plans have the lowest cost-sharing requirements, base silver plans have the highest level, and employerbased plans are in the middle (Table 1).