Predicting the effects of the Affordable Care Act : a comparative analysis of health policy microsimulation models State Health Reform Assistance Network issue brief United States. Data Collection Decision Support Techniques Health Care Reform -- legislation & jurisprudence Health Policy Models, Organizational Models, Theoretical This brief aims to explain the basics of microsimulation modeling so that policymakers and analysts are able to secure the optimal model for their needs. With this in mind, the brief addresses three questions: (1) What are health policy microsimulation models and what are their components? (2) What are the similarities and differences among the five major federal health policy models? (3) What types of questions should policymakers and analysts consider when evaluating contracting options for health policy microsimulation? [Princeton, NJ] : State Health Reform Assistance Network, [2012] Abraham, Jean M. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. State Health Access Data Assistance Center, University of Minnesota. State Health Reform Assistance Network. Technical Report Text nlm:nlmuid-101587071-pdf 101587071 http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101587071 English United States Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-DC license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0