"America is the only
high-income country that does not guarantee health coverage for all its citizens. As a result, 28 million Americans still have no health insurance.
In 2018, medical bills forced
8 million people into poverty. Despite the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic over the last 3 years, insurance rates have not meaningfully changed.
When we dig into specific states, Texas is a microcosm of the country’s broader issues, with the lowest health insurance coverage rates in the country, leading to massive inequality across communities.
Lack of health insurance produces inequalities. Families without insurance have
higher child mortality rates than those with insurance and
lower overall life expectancies.
They are
20% less likely to seek the care they need, and they are
2x more likely to have trouble paying medical bills, causing cycles of poverty."
"The Affordable Care Act (ACA), often referred to as Obamacare, made tremendous strides in reducing the share of uninsured Americans.
Since 2010 when the ACA was passed, the number of uninsured Americans has fallen by nearly half, from 15.5% of the population to 8.3% of the population (48 million Americans to 27 million Americans).
In the last year alone, a
record-breaking 16.3 million people selected a healthcare option from the ACA open marketplace."