Number of uninsured Americans is up 3.5 MILLION this year amid soaring premiums and turmoil over Obamacare – and the rate is set to rise
A report found that millions more Americans are uninsured this year
Researchers conducted the report by asking nearly 46,000 Americans whether or not they have health insurance
They expect that the number will continue to go up, in part of because of political unrest related to healthcare laws
DailyMail.com
20 October 2017
The number of US adults without health insurance is up nearly 3.5 million this year, a survey has revealed.
The news comes as rising premiums and political turmoil over ‘Obamacare’ undermine coverage gains that drove the nation’s uninsured rate to a historic low.
The finding is based on a recent survey conducted by consulting firm Gallup and wellness platform Sharecare, in which a random sample of 500 people each day were asked whether they have health insurance.
Experts are warning that the number of uninsured Americans is likely to continue to increase while lawmakers struggle to develop working healthcare policies.
The survey found that the uninsured rate among adults was 12.3 percent during the period from July 1 to September 30, an increase of 1.4 percentage points since the end of last year.
The increase in the number of uninsured is more striking because it comes at a time of economic growth and low unemployment.
The annual sign-up season for subsidized private insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act starts November 1, but it may not make much of a difference.
President Donald Trump has stopped federal payments that reimburse insurers for lower copays and deductibles that the Obama-era law requires them to provide to people with modest incomes.
His administration slashed the advertising budget for 2018 sign-ups, cut the length of open enrollment in half, and sharply reduced federal grants to groups that help consumers navigate the process.
‘The number of uninsured Americans likely will continue to rise,’ the Gallup-Sharecare analysis said, unless Trump and Congress take steps to stabilize insurance markets.
A bipartisan bill to restart the canceled insurer payments faces opposition from conservatives and Trump has sent mixed signals.
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