Forty-seven states saw their adult uninsured rate drop by five percentage points or more in the first three years following the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) major coverage expansions, according to a new Commonwealth Fund scorecard. And in nearly three-quarters of states, fewer people skipped needed care because of costs. However, recent policy developments — most notably the Republican tax bill’s repeal of the ACA’s individual mandate penalties and a failure to extend federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program — could cause a spike in premiums for people buying health insurance on their own and lead to a reversal of gains.
Report: Progress in Health Care Access, But Gains Now in Jeopardy
