Health Policy Connection

Health Policy  /  Health Insurance Coverage  /  Health Insurance Coverage Fast Facts

Health Insurance Coverage Fast Facts

 Affordable Care Act added 2.5 million to private insurance
The Affordable Health Care Act added 2.5 million more young adults ages 19-25 to a private health insurance plan since the policy took effect in September 2010 until June 2011. These are adults who would have been otherwise uninsured. The percentage of young adults with insurance increased from 64 percent to 73 percent and is linked to the new dependent-coverage provision.
Source:  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Estimated 23 million to remain uninsured
While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides more quality, affordable health coverage options to many individuals and families, an estimated 23 million will remain uninsured after ACA is fully implemented.
Source:  Congressional Budget Office
No more denial of health coverage
Because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Americans will no longer be denied health coverage because of a preexisting condition and will have access to insurance when they need it most, without lifetime and annual benefit limits.
Source:  Alliance for Health Reform
Gaining coverage
It is estimated that 32 million uninsured Americans will gain coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Source:  Alliance for Health Reform
State insurance coverage eligibility
Most states cover families earning up to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), or about $44,000 per year for a family of four. Eligibility levels vary in each state and are based on family size, and may also take into account higher costs of living.
Source:  Kaiser Family Foundation
School versus the emergency room
Kids who are covered by Medicaid or CHIP have better quality of care than uninsured children, and go to the doctor more and the emergency room less. Children who have health coverage also miss less school than uninsured children.
Source:  Institute of Medicine
Medical care can cause bankruptcy
For the uninsured and underinsured, one serious illness or injury can wipe out a family's bank account. More than 60 percent of all bankruptcies in the U.S. are attributed to the cost of medical care.
Source:  American Journal of Medicine
Uninsured raise premiums
When the uninsured seek inpatient hospital care, people who are insured end up paying for part of this care through hikes in health insurance premiums. It is estimated that this extra cost of care for the uninsured added $1,000 to family insurance premiums.
Source:  Families USA
Small health problems
Uninsured children are 70 percent less likely than insured children to receive medical care for common childhood conditions, such as a sore throat, which means small health problems can grow into bigger ones.
Source:  Mathematica
Uninsured kids with working parents
Most uninsured kids come from families in which at least one parent works full time.
Source:  State Health Access Data Assitance Center
Jobs don't guarantee coverage
Having a job--even a full-time job--does not guarantee coverage. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of the uninsured are in working families.
Source:  Kaiser Family Foundation
Uninsured rates higher in communities of color
People from communities of color are more likely to be uninsured. In 2009, 32.4 percent of Hispanics; 21 percent of African Americans; and 17.2 percent of Asians were uninsured compared with 12 percent of non-Hispanic whites.
Source:  U.S. Census Bureau
Uninsured children
Today, 7.5 million children nationwide do not have health insurance.They make up 10 percent of all children.
Source:  U.S. Census Bureau
The difference between life or death
It is estimated that approximately 22,000 Americans die each year in large part because of a lack of health insurance. Making sure people have access to the care they need can mean the difference between life and death.
Source:  Urban Institute
Uninsured rates in the U.S.
50.7 million Americans lacked health insurance coverage in 2009. This accounts for 16.7 percent of all Americans.
Source:  U.S. Census Bureau

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