Posted on August 18, 2010 10:41
Categories: Special Populations | Medicaid | Legislative and Regulatory Issues | Employer and Individual Insurance | Treatment and Recovery
Topics: Employer-Sponsored Coverage | Health Care Reform | Individual Coverage | Legislation (National) | Medicaid | Out-of-Pocket | Quality | Spending | Treatment
The KFF published a brief examining uninsured adults, focusing on those earning 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) or less. KFF found that 38 percent of the uninsured population in that income range received no medical care in the past two years. The brief provides policy and programmatic recommendations for outreach and enrollment when individuals in those populations become eligible for Medicaid under health care reform.
From the report:
As states and policymakers look ahead to 2014 and the expansion of Medicaid to all of the lowest income adults, the program will begin to reach individuals who have previously had little interaction with the health care system. Finding and enrolling these adults will be challenging but will also be an important step towards decreasing the number of uninsured adults. The data presented in this brief profile uninsured adults with incomes at or below 133% of the federal poverty level who will be eligible for Medicaid in 2014 based on income and focuses on those who received no medical care over a two-year period to help assess unmet need. Of all the uninsured adults in this income group, 38% did not receive any medical care over two years. The uninsured adults without medical care over two years are younger than other uninsured adults in this income group and are less likely to be parents. The majority of these uninsured adults are U.S. citizens, but more than one-third (35%) speak Spanish at home. Additionally, a sizable share of uninsured adults who received no medical care is in less than very good health. Identifying how uninsured adults who have minimal ties to the health care system differ from other adults will allow outreach efforts to be tailored to those who are unlikely to hear about Medicaid through a health care provider. Additionally, the data may be relevant when designing enrollment procedures and setting premiums and cost-sharing.
Full report: Uninsured and Untreated: A Look at Uninsured Adults Who Received No Medical Care for Two Year (PDF | 457.8 KB)
Kaiser Family Foundation. (2010). Uninsured and untreated: a look at uninsured adults who received no medical care for two years.
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