Health Policy Connection

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Health Insurance Coverage Fast Facts

	Saving on out-of-pocket expenses Nearly 4 million Medicare recipients received $2.1 billion in discounts for out-of-pocket prescription drugs in 2011, for an average savings of $604 per person under the Affordable Care Act. The health care reform law requires drug manufacturers to provide discounted brand name drugs to seniors and people with disabilities and the act subsidizes generic drugs. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
	Uninsured at premium rates Without the individual mandate to obtain health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 40-42 million non-elderly would remain uninsured. Private health insurance would drop by 11 million people without a mandate, while non-group premiums would increase between 10 to 25 percent. Source: The Urban Institute
	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