Americans Have Benefitted From Affordable Coverage Options During The Pandemic, CDC Data Shows

WASHINGTON – As some politicians debate proposals to create unaffordable, new government-controlled health insurance systems like the public option or open up Medicare to younger Americans, new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides additional evidence that private plans and public programs are working together to successfully expand access to affordable, high-quality health coverage and care. 

Americans Are Benefitting From Affordable Coverage Options, Including Those Who Lost Work During The Pandemic:

• The percentage of covered Americans rose in 2020, with the number of uninsured Americans decreasing by approximately 1.6 million, the CDC finds.(POLITICO, 8/31/21)
• Americans who lost work during the pandemic found new coverage options on the exchanges and through public programs. In fact, 38.2 percent of Americans were enrolled in Medicaid and other safety net programs in the second half of 2020, the CDC reports. (POLITICO, 8/31/21)
• The CDC’s findings “track with a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study that found the share of adults reporting public coverage increased in all 50 states during the pandemic, with the biggest gains in [Medicaid] expansion states.” (POLITICO, 8/31/21)
• In 2021, enhancements to current law made zero-cost premium plans available to 13.3 million Americans. (NPR, 8/3/21)
• Since April of 2021, 34 percent of consumers who enrolled in coverage through the federal marketplace selected a plan that costs $10 or less per month.(HHS, 7/14/21)

Millions Have Gained Coverage Through Existing Options

• Nearly 31 million Americans have obtained coverage under current law as of 2021. (The Associated Press, 6/5/21)
• More than 11 million consumers enrolled in marketplace plans;
• 14.8 million people enrolled in Medicaid via expansion of eligibility during the Obama administration;
• One million individuals enrolled in the ACA’s Basic Health Program option; and
• Nearly 4 million previously eligible adults gained coverage under additional Medicaid expansion. (The Hill, 6/5/21)

Building On What’s Working in Health Care Is The Most Effective Way To Expand Access To Affordable, High-Quality Health Coverage And Care

• The number of uninsured Americans would fall significantly under an enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) model, with roughly 8.1 million (30 percent) and 9.6 million (34 percent) fewer Americans uninsured after ACA enhancements in 2023 and 2032, respectively. (KNG Health Consulting, 5/17/21)