It’s been quite a rollercoaster ride for the Affordable Care Act this year, as companies like UnitedHealth have spiked their premiums in an effort to combat what they reportedly found to be huge losses in 2015.
The blame has been placed upon the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace, where coverage is offered at a perceived low rate as compared to that being shopped for privately. Despite this significant rise in premium costs, Forbes reports that the number of those uninsured is down while the premium rates rise.
The article highlights figures that have shifted from year to year since 2013. At the top of 2013, 21.7% of Americans with Medicaid in non-expansion states were uninsured. That number has since dropped to 14.1% this year.
Comparatively, in 2013 14.9% of Americans with Medicaid in expansion states were uninsured, while that number has dropped over 50% to 7.3% at the top of 2016.
As for classifiably “non-elderly” adults, 17.4% were without health care in 2013; that number is now around 10%.
While the figures over the three-year period show consistent decline (with a one-time jump in the fourth quarter of 2014), it’s interesting to think that so many are against the Affordable Care Act’s move for widespread health care.
Even in the case of Medicaid the move is massive—the federal government is responsible for over 90% of Medicaid costs until 2020—as more Americans are gaining access to care they previously didn’t have.
Larger health care providers may still continue to fight their own battles with cost, as many have withdrawn from even low competition states.
However, smaller agencies are right behind them, entering markets to continuously expand coverage.
Premium prices are far from a deterrent for many consumers.
