Commonwealth Fund Survey Shows Coverage Gains Under ACA Have Stalled
People who are “underinsured” have high health plan deductibles and out-of pocket medical expenses relative to their income and are more likely to struggle paying medical bills or to skip care because of cost. Among adults who were insured all year, 29 percent were underinsured in 2018, up from 23 percent in 2014, according to results from the Commonwealth’s Fund’s latest Biennial Health Insurance Survey, released today.
The survey offers a big-picture look at Americans’ health insurance, including the quality of their coverage, in 2018. It finds that:
More U.S. adults are underinsured compared to 2014, with the largest growth among people with job-based health plans. Twenty-eight percent of U.S. adults who have health insurance through their employer were underinsured in 2018, up from 20 percent just four years earlier. At the same time, people who bought plans on their own through the individual market or the marketplaces were the most likely to be underinsured, with 42 percent reporting a lack of adequate coverage in 2018.
Underinsured adults report having trouble affording their care:
- Problems getting care: 41 percent of underinsured adults said they delayed needed care because of cost, compared to 23 percent of people with adequate insurance coverage...