Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Larry Levitt Profile picture
@larry_levitt
Sep 15, 2020 • 5 tweets • 2 min read • Read on X
New federal data show the the number of people uninsured increased by one million in 2019, before the pandemic and economic crisis hit.

The number of people uninsured has been growing since 2016, reversing historic gains following passage of the ACA.

census.gov/newsroom/press… Image
The number of Americans uninsured increased by 2.3 million from 2016 to 2019, after dropping by 20 million in the years following passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
There was a big increase in the share of Hispanics uninsured in 2019 -- 18.7%, up from 17.9% in 2018. Hispanics are the group most likely to be uninsured, and are being hit particularly hard by COVID-19 right now.
President Trump has been unsuccessful in repealing the ACA, but efforts to weaken the law have likely helped to push the number of people uninsured up -- a 90% reduction in outreach, greater leeway for states to limit Medicaid, and repeal of the individual mandate penalty.
For the wonks...

Census released two surveys of health coverage in 2019 today: CPS and ACS.

ACS is likely more reliable since it's bigger and interviews were all conducted pre-COVID.

The CDC released another survey last week (NHIS), but that had some methodology changes.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Larry Levitt

Larry Levitt Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @larry_levitt

Larry Levitt Profile picture
Jun 11
The Biden Administration has issued a proposed rule that would remove medical debt from credit reports.

This wouldn't eliminate medical debt itself, but would prevent it from ruining people's credit.

consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsr…
Image
According to @KFF polling and research, 100 million people have some form of health care debt, and medical debt totals at least $220 billion.

healthsystemtracker.org/brief/the-burd…
Especially with the proliferation of high-deductible insurance plans, medical debt can affect almost anyone when the crapshoot of an acute or chronic illness hits.
Read 4 tweets
Larry Levitt Profile picture
Jun 8
Trump started a program where private Medicare drug plans could cap insulin copays voluntarily at $35.

Biden has required a $35 insulin copay cap in Medicare and proposed extending it to people outside of Medicare. Image
Major insulin makers have voluntarily capped insulin costs at $35 per month for many following the requirement in Medicare. But, there’s no guarantee that continues without a federal law.
A big question Trump has never answered: If elected, would he continue to implement the requirement for the government to negotiate drug prices in Medicare passed by Democrats and Biden? Or, would he seek to repeal or weaken it?
Read 4 tweets
Larry Levitt Profile picture
Mar 28
In a long-delayed rule, the Biden Administration has reversed the Trump Administration's expansion of short-term health plans that were exempt from the ACA's requirements for coverage of pre-existing conditions and essential benefits.

cms.gov/newsroom/press…
The Trump Administration had allowed short-term plans exempt from ACA rules to be purchased for up to 364 days and renewed for up to 3 years. The Biden Administration is limiting them to no more than 4 months.
Short-term health plans have much lower premiums than ACA plans. That's because they deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and may not cover benefits like drugs, maternity care, mental health, and substance use treatment.

kff.org/affordable-car…
Read 5 tweets
Larry Levitt Profile picture
Mar 26
The House Republican Study Committee budget plan would make sweeping changes to health care, reducing federal spending significantly and rolling back regulations. 🧵
The House Republican Study Committee budget would convert the ACA premium subsidies and Medicaid into block grants to states and reduce federal spending on those programs by $4.5 trillion over a decade.
Under the House Republican Study Committee budget, ACA protections for pre-existing conditions would be rolled back.

People could be charged higher premiums based on their health.

Insurance would be guaranteed renewable, but a gap in coverage could lead to a denial.
Read 7 tweets
Larry Levitt Profile picture
Mar 18
This somewhat complicated chart from the body that advises Congress on Medicare (@medicarepayment) is quite stunning when you think about it.

It costs the government $83 billion more to provide coverage through private Medicare Advantage plans than in traditional Medicare. Image
It costs the government more to provide coverage through private Medicare Advantage plans than it would in traditional Medicare due to a kind of double whammy. Plans enroll healthier than average people. Yet, they are good at coding diagnoses that make them look sicker.
Given the overpayments, you would think cutting payments to Medicare Advantage plans would be an attractive target to reduce the deficit or fund other priorities.

But, insurers are profiting and are a powerful lobbying force. And, seniors get extra benefits at no premium.
Read 6 tweets
Larry Levitt Profile picture
Mar 6
A somewhat wonky thread on what a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket drug costs in private insurance would mean. A similar cap will apply in Medicare next year under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Before the new $2,000 cap on drug costs in Medicare, there was no cap on out-of-pocket drug costs or any cap on out-of-pocket costs at all. So, this will help people with high drug costs a lot. Plus, the government subsidizes the premium.
Employer plans are already required to cap out-of-pocket costs overall under the ACA. Also, drugs are often not subject to deductibles. Patients can, of course, still face high medication costs for expensive drugs with coinsurance.

kff.org/report-section…
Image
Read 7 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

:(