Early Retiree Reinsurance Program: bridge to 2014.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) established the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) to provide temporary stability to the employer-supported retiree health care benefit market until the major provisions of the law ensuring every individual access to individual insurance become effective in 2014. The $5 billion appropriation was expected to last four years, but was expended in 18 months. This article reviews the development and motivation for the benefit. Further documentation is provided as to which recipients benefited from the reinsurance program.