Although the number of Americans without health insurance has dropped by an estimated 20 million since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) took effect, a report released last week says there are still about 24 million people who lack coverage.
The Commonwealth Fund issued the report, which was based on data collected earlier this year.
“The percentage of the population without health insurance has fallen to historic lows,” the report says. “Yet, three years into the rollout of the law’s major coverage expansions in 2014, an estimated 24 million people still lack health insurance.”
Many of the uninsured live in states that are not expanding Medicaid. The study found that 39 percent of uninsured adults have incomes below the federal poverty level.
“Of uninsured adults who are aware of the marketplaces or who have tried to enroll for coverage,” the report says, “the majority point to affordability concerns as a reason for not signing up.”
The report found “notable shifts” in the demographic composition of the uninsured, with whites falling from half of the uninsured in 2013 to 41 percent this year. While Latinos and blacks “have made major gains under the ACA,” the Commonwealth Fund says, inequalities remain.
External links:
Who Are the Remaining Uninsured and Why Haven’t They Signed Up for Coverage? (Commonwealth Fund)
