Letting the Information Flow

New Infographic Provides a State-by-State Look at How Uninsured People Will Fare Under the Affordable Care Act

A new interactive infographic from the Kaiser Family Foundation presents a comprehensive look at how the uninsured are expected to fare in each state next year after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) takes full effect on Jan. 1. The ACA provides new coverage options for many of the nation’s 47

million nonelderly uninsured people across the income spectrum, but there are big differences between states based on the makeup of their low income populations and whether or not a state expands the Medicaid program.

Arkansas has joined the federal government in a partnership which allowed an expansion of Medicaid via private insurance known as the "private option." The Living Affected Corporation serving as IPA Guide Entity 5000 continues to offer enrollment assistance, educational outreach and a direct LGBTQ access point to further learn about to navigate the system. Currently open enrollment concludes March 31, 2014

The online tool features an interactive map that allows users to click on each state to obtain key data that break down the potential gains in coverage for the uninsured, the gaps in coverage and those who will not receive any financial assistance. For each state the infographic shows:

• How many uninsured people will be eligible for Medicaid (including those newly eligible in states expanding Medicaid under the ACA and those – mostly children – eligible but unenrolled in states not expanding);
  
  
• How many uninsured will be eligible for tax credits to help them purchase coverage in the ACA Marketplaces;
  
  
• How many uninsured adults below the poverty level will be in the “coverage gap,” meaning they will not be eligible for Medicaid or for financial assistance to buy coverage because their state is not moving forward with the Medicaid expansion in 2014;
  
  
• How many uninsured will not benefit from the ACA’s financial assistance with coverage because they have income too high to qualify for tax credits or have employer coverage or are undocumented immigrants.

Forthcoming  fact sheets for each state will provide additional analysis of what the ACA is likely to mean for the uninsured in each state. They will be released just after the new year.

The Foundation previously released detailed analyses of those eligible for tax credits in the marketplaces and those who fall into the coverage gap, as well as briefs that examine the characteristics of people in the coverage gap and the impact of the gap by race and ethnicity in states that are not moving forward with the Medicaid expansion. For more information about the uninsured and the health reform law, visit www.kff.org.

The Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people. The Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California.