Health insurance coverage rates were steady in 2017
During the first full year of President Trump’s term, healthcare insurance rates remained relatively steady, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
In 2017, 28.5 million people, or 8.8 percent, did not have health insurance at any point during the year, representing not much of a difference from the 28.1 million who were uninsured in 2016. The proportion of people with health insurance was 91.2 percent for both 2017 and 2016, though the number of people increased by 2.3 million to 294.6 million.
The rates remained flat despite Republican lawmakers and Trump taking several whacks at the Affordable Care Act, which expanded healthcare coverage by 20 million since 2010. In 2013, the uninsured rate was 14.5 percent.
A report from the Government Accountability Office found that the Trump administration’s efforts to thwart ACA policies stifled enrollment in Obamacare plans. HHS slashed the advertising budget of ACA plans on the individual marketplace by 90 percent to just $10 million in 2017. The agency also reduced funds by 42 percent for in-person enrollment marketplace navigators.
See the Census Bureau’s full report here.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."