New AHRQ Report: More Americans Gaining Health Coverage due to Affordable Care Act
More people have health care coverage, have a usual place to go for medical care, and can more easily afford medical bills after the Affordable Care Act’s provisions have taken effect, according to a new report released today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Based on data from 2010 to June 2015, the report indicates that the overall rate of uninsured people under age 65 decreased from 18 percent to 10 percent. For 18 to 29 year olds, the uninsured rate declined even further—by more than half, from 31 percent to 15 percent. Among poor people ages 18-64, the uninsured rate fell from 44 percent to 25 percent. Substantial gains in health care coverage were found for Hispanic and black adults.
The report also shows that more people had a usual place to go for medical care. The percentage of people with a usual place to go for medical care increased overall for blacks and Hispanics. Hispanics showed the biggest gains in this measure, climbing from 77 percent in 2010 to 83 percent in the first half of 2015.
The cost of health care coverage also became more affordable as fewer people overall reported having trouble paying medical bills within the past year. Low-income people saw the greatest benefit, and all racial and ethnic groups showed a decline in payment problems during this period.
The new AHRQ report, 2015 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report and 5th Anniversary Update on the National Quality Strategy, shows that quality of care is improving, particularly in hospitals, and for measures that are being publicly reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. However, quality is still far from optimal overall, and disparity based on race/ethnicity and income continues to impact the care people receive.
Download the new AHRQ report here.
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