How did the Affordable Care Act benefit minorities?

Asked by: Ms. Abbie Turcotte  |  Last update: April 1, 2023
Score: 4.5/5 (31 votes)

The percentage of Blacks without health insurance decreased by 5.6 percentage points in expansion states and by 4 percentage points in nonexpansion states. For Hispanics, the uninsured rate decreased by more than 7 percentage points in expansion states and by 5.1 to 5.4 percentage points in nonexpansion states.

How did the ACA help African Americans?

The Affordable Care Act's (ACA) expansion of Medicaid and reforms to the individual insurance market, including subsidized coverage for people with incomes up to four times the poverty line, have helped to lower the uninsured rate for nonelderly African Americans by more than one-third between 2013 and 2016, from 18.9 ...

What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on racial and ethnic disparities in health care according to some studies?

The ACA had an equalizing effect, reducing racial and ethnic disparities in coverage. Hispanic people had the highest initial uninsured rate and experienced the greatest gains (an overall decline of 15 percentage points in uninsured rates and a nine-point decline in the gap with whites).

Who benefited from the Affordable Care Act?

More than 20 million Americans gained health insurance under the ACA. Black Americans, children and small-business owners have especially benefited. Thirty-seven states have expanded Medicaid, deepening their pool of eligible residents to those who live at or below 138% of the federal poverty level.

Why do minority groups have less access to healthcare?

Compared with white persons, black persons and other minorities have lower levels of access to medical care in the United States due to their higher rates of unemployment and under-representation in good-paying jobs that include health insurance as part of the benefit package (Blendon et al., 1989; Trevino et al., 1991 ...

Here's Why the Affordable Care Act Is So Controversial | History

16 related questions found

How are minorities affected by healthcare?

Minority Americans Have Lower Rates of Insurance Coverage and Less Access to Care Lack of health insurance is linked to less access to care and more negative care experiences for all Americans. Hispanics and African Americans are most at risk of being uninsured.

Do minorities receive worse health care?

Compared with whites, members of racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive preventive health services and often receive lower-quality care. They also have worse health outcomes for certain conditions.

Who was most impacted by the Affordable Care Act?

Since the enactment of the ACA, Latinos have experienced the largest gain in health coverage among all racial and ethnic groups. Changes in the uninsured rate between the fourth quarter of 2013 and the first quarter of 2015 (based on Gallup-Healthways surveys) are summarized in Table 1.

How many people benefited from Affordable Care Act?

New Reports Show Record 35 Million People Enrolled in Coverage Related to the Affordable Care Act, with Historic 21 Million People Enrolled in Medicaid Expansion Coverage.

Which racial ethnic group has the highest rate of uninsurance?

While White individuals make up the largest share of the U.S. uninsured population at 47 percent, Black and Hispanic individuals account for disproportionately high shares of this remaining uninsured population.

Why are there racial disparities in healthcare?

The sources of racial and ethnic health care disparities include differences in geography, lack of access to adequate health coverage, communication difficulties between patient and provider, cultural barriers, provider stereotyping, and lack of access to providers.

What race receives the most Medicaid?

An estimated 47.3% of Whites, 40.0% of African Americans, and 30.0% of Native Americans met new eligibility criteria for Medicaid, compared with 81.1% of Asian Americans, 57.0% of Latinos, and 55.1% of individuals of more than 1 race.

Is there any evidence that the ACA has benefited any specific population?

Nevertheless, the early evidence strongly indicates that the ACA is working; it has substantially reduced the number of uninsured and has improved access to coverage for 20 million newly insured people.

How many blacks have no health insurance?

Key findings from the report include: Since the implementation of the ACA's coverage provisions, the uninsured rate among Black Americans under age 65 decreased by 8 percentage points, from 20 percent in 2011 (approximately 7.1 million people) to 12 percent in 2019 (approximately 4.4 million people).

How does the ACA help to reduce health disparities and advance health equity?

Under the ACA, most plans must cover preventive services — such as tobacco cessation — without cost sharing. This has already reduced some racial and ethnic disparities in access to preventive care. But insurers can do more to increase utilization by eliminating remaining financial barriers to care.

How can we fix health care disparities?

Raising public and provider awareness of racial/ethnic disparities in care; Expanding health insurance coverage; Improving the capacity and number of providers in underserved communities; and. Increasing the knowledge base on causes and interventions to reduce disparities.

Has Obamacare helped or hurt?

Indisputably, yes. More than 20 million people have gained coverage as a result of the ACA. It has dramatically reduced the uninsured rate. On the day President Obama signed the ACA, 16 percent of Americans were uninsured; in March 2020, it was nine percent.

What are the problems with the Affordable Care Act?

The Problem: Affordability

The ACA set standards for “affordability,” but millions remain uninsured or underinsured due to high costs, even with subsidies potentially available. High deductibles and increases in consumer cost sharing have chipped away at the affordability of ACA-compliant plans.

Is Affordable Care Act successful?

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly known as the ACA) was spectacularly successful in expanding health insurance to people previously uncovered, through the insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansion. Implementation of the ACA newly covered roughly 20 million people.

Why is the Affordable Care Act controversial?

The ACA has been highly controversial, despite the positive outcomes. Conservatives objected to the tax increases and higher insurance premiums needed to pay for Obamacare. Some people in the healthcare industry are critical of the additional workload and costs placed on medical providers.

How does racial bias affect healthcare?

Racial bias in healthcare can lead to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) having a harder time accessing healthcare. This can mean a Person of Color has delays in treatment, leading to worse outcomes.

What is the most significant health barrier for minorities?

Health barriers for minorities are most significant because of: poor water quality.

What race has the most health disparities?

African Americans have the highest mortality rate for all cancers combined compared with any other racial and ethnic group. There are 11 infant deaths per 1,000 live births among Black Americans.

How does race and ethnicity affect health care in the US?

NAM found that “racial and ethnic minorities receive lower-quality health care than white people—even when insurance status, income, age, and severity of conditions are comparable.” By “lower-quality health care,” NAM meant the concrete, inferior care that physicians give their black patients.

What are some minority health disparities?

NIH-designated U.S. health disparity populations include American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, sexual and gender minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, and underserved rural populations.