Expanding Medicaid: 22-State Data on Populations That Stand to Benefit

Expanding Medicaid: Who benefits? Extending Medicaid Coverage in 22 States' Twenty-two states have chosen not to expand Medicaid health coverage, leaving sizable populations uninsured. These individuals and families are too poor to pay for insurance on their own-yet do not qualify for Medicaid. This infographic shows the populations that would benefit from extending Medicaid across states that have not yet done so. WHO BENEFITS Uninsured adults² In states that haven't extended Medicaid coverage, adults across the spectrum-ranging from young adults to older adults-are left without access to affordable health coverage. Older Adults (45-64) Young Adults (19-24) These are young adults who don't qualify for Medicaid but make too little to get financial help with marketplace coverage. They may still be in school, they may have a job without health insurance, they may be thinking about starting a family, but they don't have insurance. Adults (25-44) These adults can't get financial help to buy a marketplace plan but don't qualify for Medicaid. They include parents who are working and raising kids but make too much to qualify for Medicaid. Many of these men and women struggle to support themselves and their families-and do so without health insurance. These are older adults who don't have an affordable option for insurance. They may be parents whose kids are grown and have left home, they may be working at a job that doesn't offer them affordable health coverage, they may be working but not full time. They don't qualify for Medicaid but aren't old enough to get Medicare. 800K Adults 19-24 Adults 25-44 Adults 45-64 700K 600K 500K 400K 300K 200K 100K AL : AK FL GA : ID KS LA ME MS MO MT: NE : NC : OK sc SD TN TX UT VA : WY WHO BENEFITS Parents with dependent kids In most states that haven't expanded Medicaid, only parents with extremely low incomes are eligible for the state's current Medicaid program. Here's how low those incomes need to be. Annual family income required to qualify for state's Medicaid program $60K MEDIAN U.S. HOUSEHOLD INCOME (2013) $51,900/year IDAHO: 48K $5,424/year A three-person family can't make more TEXAS: ALABAMA: $3,616/year A three-person family can't make more than $300/month in order to qualify for $3,817/year When parents are healthy, kids can thrive. In Texas, parents in a family of three must In 16 [] states, a single parent with two kids working a full time, minimum wage job makes too little for help to buy private insurance, but too much for than $5,424 per year in income. A single parent with two kids working a full-time, minimum wage Job 36K makes too little for make well below help to buy private İnsurance but too the poverty Medicaid. The level-no more average rent in Montgomery County for a than $3,817 per year In 2015-to qualify for Medicaid. much for Medicald because Idaho has chosen not to extend 24K Medicaid. 2-bedroom 20.7 21.1 Medicald, apartment Is $800/month. 13.5 12K 10.2 10.6 11,0 11.7 9.0 9.0 9.2 9.2 7.6 7.6 6.8 5.6 4.6 4.8 5.4 $3.6 3.8 AL TX мо LA ID MS FL GA KS NC VA Ок UT MT SD NE WY SC TN ME (shown in thousands of dollars; based on 2015 federal poverty level for a family of three) WHO BENEFITS Working-but uninsured-adults“ In states that haven't extended Medicaid, an average of 57% of the adults who would benefit are working. These hardworking individuals hold down a variety of jobs-from fast food cooks to janitors, construction workers, and home health aides. Total adults working but uninsured Percent of adults who could benefit from extending Medicaid who are working but uninsured 130,469 MS 50% FLORIDA: 85,000 people working in sales as cashlers, clerks, and retail salespeople who support industries-like tourism-vital to 551,182 FL 51% 443,543 GA 52% 182,906 SC 53% Florida's economy, would benefit from extending Medicald coverage. 184,471 AL 54% 227,143 TN 54% A majority (50% or more) who could benefit are 200,917 LA 56% 845,918 TX 58% 209,216 MO 59% 407,238 NC 59% working but uninsured 172,991 Ок 59% 212,480 VA 59% 24,262 SD 63% UTAH: 66% of 22,638 AK 65% those who could 69,170 ID 66% benefit from extending Medicald coverage work in occupations Utah residents rely on, supporting industries that are the 102,524 KS 66% 91,926 UT 66% 37,138 ME 70% 44,763 MT 70% 17,464 WY 72% foundation of the 59,134 NE 73% state's economy. 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% WHO BENEFITS Uninsured veterans and their spouses Not all eligible veterans enroll in VA coverage or live close enough to a VA facility for VA coverage to be practical. VA coverage often does not include spouses. These veterans and their family members served their country, but many don't have an option for affordable health coverage. Uninsured veterans are much less likely than insured veterans to be able to afford a doctor's visit and other routine medical care, and more likely to forego necessary health care due to cost. 80K Number of veterans and their spouses 70 who could 66.5 benefit 60 (thousands) 54.6 50 NORTH CAROLINA: Nearly 32,000 veterans and their spouses could benefit from extending Medicald coverage. 40 31.7 32.0 30 UTAH, MONTANA, IDAHO: If these western states expanded Medicaid, more than 15,000 veterans and their spouses would be eligible for coverage. 20 21.0 13.9 14.2 16.417.7 17.9 17.9 10.4 7.4 10 2.4 2.9 3.0 3.7 1.7 4.8 5.2 5.4 WY SD NE AK ME UT MT ID KS MS LA OK VA мо AL SC TN NC GA FL TX 1 Wisconsin has declined federal funds to expand Medicaid. However, for its existing Medicaid program, it raised eligibility levels to 100 percent of poverty to close its coverage gap (although it dropped coverage of parents with incomes above the poverty level). 2 Urban Institute, States That Don't Expand Medicaid, Who Gets New Coverage Assistance Under the ACA and Who Doesn't? (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, October 2014) and associated Chart Pack, available online at http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2014/10/in-states-that-don-t-expand-medicaid--who-gets-new-coverage-assi.html. 3 Income eligibility number is based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) as used for Medicaid eligibility calculations and includes a 5 percent income disregard. Accessed online January 15, 2015, at http://kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/medicaid-income-eligibility-limits-for-adults-as-a-percent-of-the-federal-poverty-level/. Individuals buying coverage through the marketplace can qualify for help with premium costs if their income incomes below 100 percent of poverty are not eligible for extra help with marketplace premiums. Income eligibility for Medicaid is from Kaiser State Health Facts and is based on eligibility in January 2015. between 100 and 400 percent of poverty. Individuals with 4 Dee Mahan and Kathleen Stoll, Medicaid Expansion Helps Low-Wage Workers (Washington, DC: Families USA, July 2014), available online at http://familiesusa.org/product/expanding-health-coverage-working-individuals-and-families. This is based on the number of uninsured adults with incomes up to 138 percent of poverty who are working. This is the population that would be eligible for coverage if their state extended health coverage. 5 Jennifer Haley and Genevieve Kenney, Uninsured Veterans and Family Members: State and National Estimates of Expanded Medicaid Eligibility under the ACA (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, March 2013), available online at http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/412775-Uninsured-Veterans-and-Family-Members.pdf. This is based on uninsured veterans and family members in the state who have incomes up to 138 percent of poverty, the groups that stands to gain coverage if the state extends health coverage. FamilliesUSA.org FAMILIESUSA March 2015 • 8 •8