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The Uninsured: What affects access to insurance?

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The Uninsured: What affects access to insurance?

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income level

employment status

education level

age

gender

geographical location

race and ethnicity\immigrant status

(Teitlebaum, 2017)

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Many people believe that the uninsured are people who refuse to work, or who refuse to pay for health insurance when they can just visit the ER and be treated. They might also assume that insurance is easy to access, that people are just lazy. In some circumstances, these assumptions might be true but often, it is not. These are just a few of the many misgivings about the uninsured. (Teitlebaum, 2017)

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Fiscal & Social

increasing health care costs

increase in taxpayer support

budget implications for local, state, and federal government (especially Medicaid)

financial strain on providers

potential community effects (especially in rural areas) and other social implications

Medical

delayed care and progression of disease

increases in unplanned pregnancies

opiod epidemic expansion

potential development of new diseases

an increase in epidemics

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Implication Example: Strain on Resources

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Implication Example: Strain on Resources

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According to a recent study, there is evidence of private hospitals releasing ER patients at minimal stabilization and indirectly referring them to public hospitals instead. By doing this, private ERs avoid treating patients who negatively effect their bottom line. They also exploit the regulations of EMTALA (the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act), which requires providers to stabilize patients no matter what their income or issue. These actions puts a bigger strain on public hospitals with already-limited resources by risking harm to patients with double-testing or treatment, while driving up costs (Inserro, 2017).

Read a brief article about this issue here.

You can also access the study, conducted by Dr. Laura Medford-Davis of the Baylor College of Medicine, here.

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Implication Example: Community Effects - Rural Areas

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Implication Example: Community Effects - Rural Areas

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The highest rates of uninsured are located in the southern US, which is also one of the largest underserved populations in the nation.

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Nearly 27.6 million people remained uninsured in 2016.

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Implication Example: Public Health - Vaccinations

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Implication Example: Public Health - Vaccinations

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Vaccinations. Limited access to vaccinations is limited, which increases the risk of spreading previously controlled communicable diseases.

Uninsured adults are directed to healthcare exchange for information on finding health insurance but they may be able to access them at low cost from free health clinics, pharmacies, or even the local health department (Davis, 2017)

Programs for uninsured children such as Vaccines for Children (VFC), help secure vaccinations for children at minimal to no cost, which help control the spread of disease in one of the most contagious populations

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From the source: Uninsured adults explain why they lack health insurance.

A breakdown from 2016.
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Watch the video that summarizes the past and future issues with the number of uninsured in the US.

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The number of uninsured Americans is growing, and it's likely not going to stop anytime soon.

A new Gallup survey shows a 1.3 percentage point increase in the uninsured rate in 2017 compared to 2016 - that represents roughly 3.2 million people. Gallup says that's the largest single-year increase since it started tracking it in 2008.

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Every demographic group saw a rise except those age 65 and older. Gallup notes that group is eligible for Medicare.

Related Story 4 Million Kids Could Lose Health Insurance If Congress Doesn't Act

Experts attribute the trend to a couple things: efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and insurance companies pulling out of health care exchanges or raising their prices.

Gallup says it expects the uninsured rate to continue to rise into 2018 and beyond, especially considering the recently signed tax bill that repeals the individual mandate.

The research company says, "Without this requirement to have health insurance, it is likely that some Americans will drop their coverage."

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The Number Of Uninsured People In The US Is Rising - And May Not Stop

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The number of uninsured Americans is growing, and it's likely not going to stop anytime soon. A new Gallup survey shows a 1.3 percentage point increase in the uninsured rate in 2017 compared to 2016 - that represents roughly 3.2 million people. Gallup says that's the largest single-year increase since it started tracking it in 2008.

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Nonelderly Uninsured Rates from 1998-2016

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Nonelderly Uninsured Rates from 1998-2016

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Reflection of the drop in uninsured after the ACA.
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Florida Department of Health Resources by County 

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Florida Department of Health Resources by County 

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The Florida Department of Health offers direct links to each of its county departments. You can visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/index.html and click on 'Counties' view the list and find your county.

Each county also offers an annual public health report detailing the issues in each region and the reasons why, including the lack of resources which sometimes stem from treating the uninsured.