Getting Covered
Posted by Michelle Moquin on March 11th, 2014
Good morning!
Well…I can’t tell you what a shock it was to discover last night that my scheduled post somehow did not get posted. I have no idea what happened. It is rare that I am that out of touch but I started a new program yesterday and “focus” was the verb for the day. So…obviously “focus” is what I did. I am grateful that I got a lot done but sorry that I kept my readers waiting.
Any who…How are you? It has been pretty quiet of late. I know things must be stirring up. There is always something to be said on some topic, whether it be the topic du jour or one of your own choosing. However, I have a feeling the quiet is not of your own doing. So…HOPEfully things will open up and your fingers will do the walking, and readers will begin talking.
It is my early bird morning today so I am keeping my end of it brief. So, please…do take over. :)
Here’s the write. Speaking of…the right is still trying to appeal Obamacare…and still putting out anti-Obamacare ads that are back firing. (Sigh) Can we please get the repubs to do something other than this. It is really time to vote ‘em out. Really.
Oh…here’s the good news from Think Progress:
Getting Covered
Uninsured Rate Hits Lowest Level Since 2009
How is the Affordable Care Act doing? One way to judge is by looking at one of its primary goals: providing uninsured Americans access to affordable health coverage. And on this measure, it is succeeding.
We know that over 4 million people have enrolled in private coverage under the law. And according to a survey by Gallup released today, the rate of uninsured Americans has now reached its lowest level since 2009:
CREDIT: GALLUP
As the chart above shows, the uninsured rate was 17.1 percent at the end of 2013, down from a peak of 18 percent. Two months into 2014, it now sits at 15.9 percent–the lowest level since the first quarter of 2009. That decrease may not look like much, but it represents millions of people getting health insurance who previously weren’t covered. The decrease also represents a marked departure from the trend of rising levels of uninsured over the last several years.
This good news only gets better by taking a closer look at the numbers. “The uninsured rate for almost every major demographic group has dropped in 2014 so far,” wrote Gallup researchers. And the groups who have seen the sharpest decreases in uninsured rates so far this year have been among those most at risk from lacking insurance coverage — low-income and black Americans. In fact, in the first two months of 2014, the percentage of uninsured African Americans has reduced from 20.9 percent to 18.3 percent, a 2.6-point drop. And among those earning under $36,000 per year, the rate of uninsured went from 30.7 percent to 27.9 percent.
Some people have expressed concern that the new law is not reaching the uninsured quickly enough, but today’s survey and other research should ease those fears. Besides, it makes sense that the uninsured wouldn’t necessarily sign up for insurance coverage right away, according to Larry Levitt, vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation:
“There’s every reason to believe that early enrollment skewed towards the already insured and that the uninsured will sign up later. People who were insured and had their old non-compliant policies cancelled were no doubt first in line in the new marketplaces, along with some people with pre-existing conditions who were locked out of the market before… The uninsured, particularly those who are young and healthy, are more likely to enroll as the final deadline approaches this month.”
BOTTOM LINE: The evidence shows that the Affordable Care Act is working and that uninsured Americans are signing up for health care. The uninsured rate is at the lowest it has been in years, and more and more of the uninsured have been getting covered. Outreach remains critical with just 22 days until open enrollment ends, but this is good news for those of us who think health care should be accessible for all Americans.
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March 12th, 2014 at 7:23 pm
“Rates for nonwhite Americans and the unemployed dropped by the sharpest amount in the last month”
In other words, those getting Medicaid! We already know previously insured people who had their plans cancelled make up 89% of all plans selected, and only 11% are of people who were not previously insured. Of the 11% not previously insured, most have been enrolled in expanded Medicaid.
The Hill is a joke. At least half its readers (conservatives) are far more informed than those (liberals) who sell their biased view of the news.
March 12th, 2014 at 7:24 pm
So basically a major federal program specifically intended to lower the number of uninsured goes into effect and the number of uninsured goes down. Hmm, there is probably some causal relationship there.
March 12th, 2014 at 7:26 pm
You lefties are so afraid that the people will discover how good ObamaCare really is.
March 12th, 2014 at 7:29 pm
As Certified Insurance Agents with the Covered California and SHOP programs, we have found that a large percentage of our new individual clients were uninsured due to being unemployed. Most were unable to sustain or pay the unaffordable COBRA rates available to them through their former employers.
Additionally, for those who have chosen self-employment or taken employment where no health insurance is offered, Covered California has given them a solution for obtaining affordable health insurance. In my opinion, this is a good thing for all. A healthy well-trained workforce is essential to our success.