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Explore the reasons behind the decrease in health insurance coverage, from rising costs to limited affordability for small firms and individuals. Analyzing data from sources like Health Affairs and AHRQ, this research sheds light on the trends and challenges affecting the American healthcare landscape.
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Trends in Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S. Sherry Glied, Ph.D. Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Declining Coverage – What are the Sources of the Problems? • Costs are rising relative to family incomes • Costs of obtaining coverage are very high for small firms and for individuals • The small firm and individual insurance markets are subject to risk selection (by insurers) and averse selection (by insureds) • Limited capacity to smooth economic downturns
Decreased Employer-Sponsored Coverage Is Closely Linked to Decreased Affordability 3 3 SOURCE: T Gilmer and R Kronick. “Hard times and health insurance: how many Americans will be uninsured by 2010?” Health Affairs, May 18,2009. Reprinted with permission.
Decline in Private Firms Offering Coverage Is Concentrated Among Small Employers 4 4 4 SOURCE: ASPE Analysis of MEPS-IC Note: Significant change from 1999-2009 at p<0.05 level for small firms
The Share of Americans Who Purchase in the Individual Market Is Declining 5 5 SOURCE: ASPE analysis of 1997 - 2007 MEPS-HC . Percentages reflect non-elderly persons with at least one-month of individual coverage during the year.
Trends in the Purchase of Individual Coverage Vary by Age Source: AHRQ analysis of MEPS-HC
Many People Hold Individual Insurance Coverage Only for Short Periods 7 7 SOURCE: AHRQ analysis of MEPS-HC
Denial Rates in the Individual Market Are High for All Groups But Particularly for Those Over 55 8 8 SOURCE: America’s Health Insurance Plans, Individual Health Insurance 2009: A Comprehensive Study of Premiums, Availability, and Benefits (October 2009)
Share of Children, Parents and Other Adults Enrolled in Medicaid
Affordable Care Act Provisions Affecting Coverage • Immediate • Coverage of adult children to 26 • PCIPs • Small firm tax credits • 2014 • Exchanges • Premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions • Medicaid Expansions
Research Agenda • Developing capacity to routinely track key indicators of Affordable Care Act outcomes • Developing baseline data and structure for external and internal evaluation of Affordable Care Act and its components
sherry.glied@hhs.gov 202-690-7858 www.aspe.hhs.gov Sherry Glied, Ph.D. Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation U.S. Department of Health and Human Services