A Georgetown study has found that “Obamacare”, AKA the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has reduced the number of uninsured children in the United States. Data fro the 2014 Census Bureau found that the number of uninsured children dropped to 6 percent in 2014.
The Georgetown study was unequivocal in awarding credit, citing the ACA as the primary driver in reducing uninsured rates. The study did note, however, that the ACA continued the trend of dropping uninsured children that was created by Medicaid and CHIP.
The ACA was actually designed to target adults, but the program did include expanded options for children. Also, one of the ACA’s keys to success was requiring states to maintain their current eligibility levels.
Among the chief accomplishments of the ACA was removing barriers, such as asset and income tests, and personal interviews. These barriers are often erected for people looking to receive welfare benefits, such as Medicaid.
Still, even with all of the progress made over the last several years, 4.4 million children remain uninsured in the United States.
Besides children, the ACA has helped reduce the overall number of uninsured. The ACA has been cited for lowering costs, and streamlining the application process. Instead of hours in line at a government office, people can simply apply online.
A strong correlation was found between the increasing enrollment of adults and children. Those states that saw the most adults enrolled, generally saw the most children enrolled also.
In regards to individual states, Nevada saw its uninsured rates drop from 15 percent to 10 percent over the course of only one year. West Virginia, Mississippi, Colorado, and Rhode Island also posted big drops in uninsured rates.
Texas, a Republican stronghold, is home to more uninsured individuals than any other state. Nearly 800,000 children alone lack access. In general, the South is home to more uninsured children than other regions of the United States.
Many of the governments in these states have tried to reject and restrain as many provisions of Obamacare as possible. These states are generally controlled by the Republican Party, which has opposed many of Obama’s policies.
