The Kaiser Family Foundation has released another report surrounding ACA figures, and the results are astounding. In a report of “Estimates of Eligibility for ACA Coverage among the Uninsured in 2016,” numbers prove that many uninsured Americans are eligible for some financial assistance under the Affordable Care Act, yet aren’t taking advantage of it. Just how many? Almost 12 million.
That number is split, as almost half are eligible for Medicaid (around 6.4 million) and the other half (around 5.3 million) is eligible for assistance (such as premium tax credits) through the ACA’s Health Insurance Marketplace. Despite the fact that we are experiencing a record low of uninsured Americans under the Affordable Care Act, the 27 million uninsured could be further slashed in half with potential financial assistance.
While that number is shocking in and of itself, there are still close to 15.5 million uninsured Americans who do not qualify for any financial assistance. This is due to a combination of things, such as access to employer health care, household income, immigration status in this country, along with 2.6 million who fall into the coverage gap or “donut hole,” where a temporary limit to coverage under Medicare occurs once costs have been exhausted.
The report also shows a state-by-state breakdown of eligible Americans underutilizing the ACA’s financial offerings, with the highest numbers in places like California, Florida, and Texas. While many Americans have claimed the Affordable Care Act to be anything but affordable, there are opportunities to cut those costs that simply aren’t utilized.