Florida's Uninsured Rate Declines But Health Coverage Still Out of Reach For Many

While new Census data shows a decrease in the number of Florida’s uninsured, failure to expand Medicaid is keeping health coverage out of reach for many struggling Floridians.

From 2014 to 2015, the percentage of Floridians without health insurance dropped from 16.6 to 13.3 percent, according to new U.S. Census data. This represents almost 600,000 additional Floridians who are covered. Still, 2.6 million remain without coverage. This is good news, but the news could be much better if the state had expanded Medicaid.

Despite the reduction, Florida has the 46th lowest health insurance coverage rate, better only than Texas (17.1 percent), Alaska (14.9 percent), and Georgia and Oklahoma (13.9 percent each). The national uninsured rate is 9.1 percent.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is largely responsible for the decline in uninsured people in Florida and nationally, by expanding access to health insurance to millions of Americans. The ACA created a health insurance marketplace, through which families can compare prices and benefits of health care plans. Many of these people receive federal subsidies through ACA to offset premiums and out-of-pocket health costs.

The ACA also provides that states can expand Medicaid to families who earn up to $33,534 per year for a family of four (138 percent of the federal poverty rate). A Supreme Court ruling allowed states to decide whether to extend health care benefits to these families and accept the federal funding to do so.

Florida is one of the 19 states that has chosen not to expand Medicaid. As a result, the state has missed an opportunity to decrease its rate of uninsured by an even greater amount. State policy makers should take advantage of the opportunity provided by the ACA and expand Medicaid giving many more struggling residents the many benefits of health insurance coverage.

Medicaid is good for people, communities, and the state

Kids who receive care through Medicaid do better in school and become more productive adults. They miss fewer school days due to illness or injury and are more likely to finish high school, attend college, and graduate from college. As adults, they earn more and have fewer emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Medicaid is cost-effective.Medicaid’s costs per beneficiary are far lower and have grown more slowly than private insurance.[1]

Medicaid expansion saves states money. The federal government pays no less than 90 percent of the entire cost of expanding Medicaid. In states that have expanded Medicaid, hospitals are treating fewer uninsured patients and covering people with more expensive medical needs under the higher federal reimbursement rate. As a result, states, hospitals and families are saving money.[2]

Medicaid has improved the health of millions of Americans. In Oregon, for example, people participating in Medicaid were more likely to receive preventive care, have a primary care doctor, and to receive a diagnosis and treatment of common problems, like depression and diabetes. As a result, they were 40 percent less likely to have health problems in the last six months compared to people without health insurance.

Medicaid expansion benefits a broad range of people. It has provided insurance to those more likely to lack coverage, like racial and ethnic minorities, young adults, part-time workers, people with less education, and low-income families. The uninsured African-American population has decreased by 2.9 percentage points; the uninsured White population by 3.3 percentage points and the uninsured Latino population has decreased by 5.3 percentage points. Also, uninsured families with an annual income below 138 percent of the Federal Poverty level has declined by 4.3 percentage points. Expanding Medicaid could also help to stem the disturbing tide of substance abuse and death among less-educated whites that recent research has documented.[3]

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Notes

[1] Park, Edwin et al. 2016. Frequently Asked Questions About Medicaid. http://www.cbpp.org/research/health/frequently-asked-questions-about-medicaid, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

[2] Bachrach, Deborah et al. 2016. States Expanding Medicaid See Significant Budget Savings and Revenue Gains. http://statenetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/State-Network-Manatt-States-Expanding-Medicaid-See-Significant-Budget-Savings-and-Revenue-Gains-March-2016.pdf ,Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Jesse Cross-Call. 2015. Medicaid Expansion is Producing Large Gains in Health Coverage and Saving States Money. http://www.cbpp.org/research/health/medicaid-expansion-is-producing-large-gains-in-health-coverage-and-saving-states, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

[3] Case, Anne and Angus Deaton.2015. Rising Morbidity and Mortality in Midlife Among White Non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st Century. http://www.pnas.org/content/112/49/15078.full

Florida's Uninsured Rate Declines But Health Coverage Still Out of Reach For Many

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

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