Uninsured Rate at All Time Low

[Stuart G]

Source: Huff Post

WASHINGTON ― The share of Americans who don’t have health coverage fell below 9 percent during the first half of this year, the lowest percentage ever recorded, according to survey results published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.

The uninsured rate held steady from the end of 2015, slightly declining to 8.9 percent, or 28.4 million people, the CDC report says. The share of uninsured Americans fell more than 5 percentage points since 2013, the year before the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansion took effect.

This latest survey of the uninsured population underscores what the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has achieved in its first three years of being fully online. The uninsured rate had hovered around 15 percent in previous years, until the health care reform law’s expansion of Medicaid to poor adults, and introduction of subsidized private health insurance for low- and moderate-income families became available.



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/uninsured-rate-all-time-low_us_581a44b6e4b08f9841acf825

---

So..How many lives were saved by this?
And..How many major complications were reduced or eliminated by this?
And..How many children's diseases were caught in time by this?
All you hear about is increased rates.......................but the

positive results of millions more being insured...well.... Does the media report on that???

This is great news.....

[Mika]

1. I have never had so many patients w/o any health insurance whatsoever.

My practice is in S Fla. Can't afford it even with subsidies.

[elmac]

4. Little Marco Rubio

slipped a health care provision into the giant spending legislation that is now forcing insurers to raise premiums. These fascist bastards are trying to reverse any good Obamacare has done.

http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/12/how-marco-rubio-sabotaged-obamacare.html

[zipplewrath]

5. About half

This is about half of what was claimed when they were passing the ACA. We were at about 85% covered, and they were suggesting the ACA would get us to 95%+. Admittedly, some of this is because of the Medicaid problem in some states. All in all it was a huge political price to pay for 5%.

That said, the coverage rate isn't the only thing the ACA accomplished. The "no pre-existing" and lifetime limits and such affect more than the 5%. The subsidies affect people who had insurance prior to the ACA and now have better or cheaper coverage. And quite honestly, it's generally the 5% that need it the most, at least in some states.

[mn9driver]

6. Premiums in Minnesota are going up a lot.

It's great that people can get coverage. It is a huge benefit for people who couldn't get coverage in the past due to pre existing conditions or low family income. But it is getting to be too expensive for people who are using the exchange and don't qualify for subsidies.

I had a long conversation last night with a friend who is in this situation. The monthly premium for he and his wife for a high deductible plan is over $1400.00 per month; almost a 50 percent increase from last year. They don't qualify for subsidies, but this is a huge problem for them.

Too many young, healthy people are skipping coverage and just paying the penalty because the penalty is cheaper than the premiums. The mandate is mostly toothless and that is going to destroy the exchanges. It is simple economics.

It needs to be fixed, and pretty soon. Congress is not going to do it. We would need democratic majorities in both houses and that seems unlikely. There are going to be more and more people who don't qualify for subsidies who are not going to be able to afford coverage. The ACA is undeniably heading for a crisis.

I'm lucky that I have employer coverage that I pay only 20 percent of the premium for. It still costs a lot, but it is good coverage and I can afford it. But if things don't change I will need to continue working until age 73 in order to keep that coverage for my family. There is no way we could afford to pay the premiums on the exchanges right now.

[Sunlei]

8. If "They don't qualify for subsidies" they aren't using the exchange & 1400 a month is cheap for 2.

[progree]

16. People making over 400% of the poverty guideline don't qualify for subsidies

even on the exchanges. That's the ACA cutoff. And below that, like at 300%, the subsidy is pretty weak.

[Sunlei]

18. I know. A person who makes that kind of money doesn't need the gov 'help to pay for their insurance.

[progree]

19. 400% of poverty is $47,520 for a single person

Last edited Thu Nov 3, 2016, 06:48 PM - Edit history (1)

who also pays a lot in income taxes because some people think that's rich. A $10,320/year premium (and no tax deduction for it) on top of a $6000 deductible and 20% copays is enough to make one have to downsize their life style, like have to sell the house if have big mortgage, or find a cheaper place to rent. The above premium -- what I'm quoted for 2017 -- is a 2.3-fold increase from my ACA premium in 2014 (also unsubsidized).

ETA - Median household income is something like $54,000 ... so its not like a $47,500/year is "upper middle class" let alone "upper class" or "rich".

I too want to see the ACA survive, I've been on it since the beginning, but I really think we're in a death spiral. MN Governor Mark Dayton may have exaggerated when he said it is unaffordable (he was talking about those who make too much to qualify for subsidies), but he's right that it is a huge political problem. Affects a lot of small business people and other self-employed. And as more and more insurance companies cut back on the number of states they offer ACA exchange policies in....

It wouldn't be all that expensive to fix -- only about 5% of the population is on the ACA -- but the Republicans are intransigent on doing anything that will help make it work.

[Sunlei]

21. I agree 'retail' insurance premium rates are to high. I think the 5? insurance Corps price-set

(colluded with each other) a much higher 'retail' premium rate so they could get more government subsidy money to earn much higher profits. The same with medicine/drug Corps and even treatment costs at Doctors & hospitals they're 'for profit'.

I read somewhere that Clinton wants to asap include 55 and up in non-profit Medicaid, and perhaps even lower age people included with a low premium. She has a lot of experience/knowledge about our 'healthcare' system. Hopefully once she's elected we will have some positive action.

[busterbrown]

9. How old os your friend..

Back in the late 90s.. My wife and I were in our 50’s (Anthem Blue Cross) and by 2003 we were paying $1850 a month... So it’s a horrible situation any way you look at it..

[mn9driver]

10. He and his wife are 63

It's a long 2 years to Medicare.

[busterbrown]

12. Yep we were in the same situation.

Thank God for the last 2 yrs..the Medicaid expansion from OBAMACARE kicked in and we saved tens of thousands because of some procedures she went through.. We live in Cali..The program is a life saver for hundreds of thousands.

[Sunlei]

7. Its wonderful to have health insurance now, I use the dot gov website & get a subsidy based on

my IRS income tax report.

I'm lucky to be a very healthy person & haven't had any major 'accidents'. But thanks to ACA my insurance is there if I ever need it.

Before ACA-LAW insurance corps quoted much higher prices and refused or dumped anyone they didn't want to cover.

[mn9driver]

11. If you are young and healthy and getting insurance on the exchanges, that is great!

The problem is that many people in your demographic group are not doing that.

As a result, the risk pools are becoming money losers and companies are quitting and the ones that are staying are cranking up the premiums.

[busterbrown]

13. Your right...Goddamnit!

and thats why we need single payer..

[mn9driver]

14. Agreed.

[Stuart G]

15. Single Payer..Single Payer..Single Payer..Single Payer..Single Payer..Yes!!nt

[christx30]

17. It's amazing what you can do by making something mandatory

with punishing fines for noncompliance.

[Throd]

22. My rates will increase $3600.00 for next year. Hurray!