Rural Access to Quality Health Insurance Chapter uri icon

abstract

  • Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment deadline, the number and proportion of uninsured individuals had continued to climb steadily since 2000 with a modest decline reported in 2011 and 2012. With the ACA enrollment period implemented and Medicaid expansion occurring in 27 states, including D.C. (three states undecided, 21 states refusing to expand), rates of uninsured declined from 2.5 percent to 4.7 percent. While most attribute the recent decline to the ACA enrollment deadline, other point out that allowing children to remain on their parents' health plan until age 26 has also contributed. It is also estimated that after the ACA is fully implemented, insurance coverage will be expanded to about 17 million previously uninsured individuals including 7.8 million rural residents below age 65. New ACA coverage will include 600,000 young adults between ages 19 and 26 who will have insurance coverage through their parents' insurance plans. Approximately eight million individuals enrolled in the health insurance marketplace for the 2013/2014 enrollment period.

author list (cited authors)

  • Bolin, J. L., Bellamy, G., Ferdinand, A., & Ojinnaka, C.

complete list of authors

  • Bolin, JL||Bellamy, G||Ferdinand, A||Ojinnaka, C

editor list (cited editors)

  • Bolin, J. N., Bellamy, G., Ferdinand, A. O., Kash, B. A., & Helduser, J. W.

Book Title

  • Rural Healthy People 2020 Volume 1

publication date

  • January 2015