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.
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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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.