Healthcare is the most debated topic in the United States. Daily we are bombarded with information regarding the Republicans in the Senate and the House, and how they are trying to repeal Obamacare with no real replacement on the horizon. To better understand this complex debate, it is important to understand how Americans are getting their health insurance.
In the infographic below is based on information from the Census Bureau surveys and was created by Axios. This graphic reflects, that most Americans get their health insurance coverage from their employers with the balance of our insured population getting coverage from Medicaid,
Medicare, non-group policies, and other public sources. Also, there are approximately 29 million (9%) Americans uninsured.
Definitions for each category on the infographic are provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides in-depth information on key health policy issues concerning Medicaid, Medicare, US health reform, global health and many other health topics of concern.
- Employer-Based: Includes those covered by employer-sponsored coverage either through their own job or as a dependent in the same household.
- Medicaid: Includes those covered by Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and those who have both Medicaid and another type of coverage, such as dual eligible who are also covered by Medicare.
- Medicare: Includes those covered by Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and those who have Medicare and another type of non-Medicaid coverage where Medicare is the primary payer. Excludes those with Medicare Part A coverage only and those covered by Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible).
- Other Public: Includes those covered under the military or Veterans Administration.
- Non-Group: Includes individuals and families that purchased or are covered as a dependent by non-group insurance.
- Uninsured: Includes those without health insurance and those who have coverage under the Indian Health Service only.
Reviewing this infographic helps to put into perspective how many Americans are going to be affected by the healthcare debates outcome in Congress. It is paramount that we can stabilize health insurance in the United States. Many people feel that it is only the individual health market that will be affected by the repeal of Obamacare.
In truth, every person, regardless of category in the infographic will be affected. If the President and Congress decides to no longer fund subsidies for Obamacare many more Americans will be uninsured. Medicaid and Medicare could also be affected if they decide to decrease the funding for their programs. Employer-based insurance could also be affected due to extreme rising costs of healthcare with benefits often being decreased. Employers could decide to have their employees pay more for their insurance or completely drop their benefit plan. This could put many more Americans’ health insurance in jeopardy.
We, at Brownell Insurance are keeping a close eye on what is happening in the health insurance marketplace and through this blog will try to keep our clients well-informed. Contacting your state representatives and letting them know how you feel – could help them vote with their constituents in mind. We all need to take an active role in this debate.
Sources:
Infographic: http://www.visualcapitalist.com/americans-buy-healthcare/
Kaiser Family Foundation: http://www.kff.org/
Information for this blog came from an article on website Visual Capitalist named “Breakdown: How Americans Get Healthcare Coverage written by Jeff Desjardins on July 31, 2017.
