• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Submit News
  • Contact Us

Capital Soup

Florida News Straight From the Source

  • Soup Du Jour
  • People
  • Government
  • Campaign
  • Business
  • Education
  • Insights
  • Video
You are here: Home / Soup Du Jour / Veterans gained health insurance coverage under Obamacare, study says

Veterans gained health insurance coverage under Obamacare, study says

Posted on April 20, 2017

Veterans younger than 65 have made significant gains in health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, according to a study released Wednesday by researchers at the nonpartisan Urban Institute.
Nationwide, about 429,000 military veterans gained coverage in the 20 states with the largest veteran populations, including Florida, the report found, reducing the uninsured rate among non-elderly veterans by nearly 40 percent from 2013 to 2015.
States that expanded eligibility for Medicaid under the health law known as Obamacare covered more of their veterans, said Jennifer Haley, a researcher with the Urban Institute’s Health Policy Center.
But even among the states examined that did not expand Medicaid eligibility, such as Florida, veterans saw significant gains, according to the report.
“The Affordable Care Act provisions seem to be benefiting veterans, and also their spouses and children,” Haley said.
Nationwide, there were about 980,000 uninsured veterans in 2013, according to the report. By mid-2015, the report found, the number of uninsured veterans had dropped to 552,000.
In Florida, the uninsured rate among veterans younger than 65 dropped from 84,000 or roughly 12.5 percent in 2013 to about 49,000 or 7.4 percent in mid-2015.
The ACA’s health insurance exchange, healthcare.gov, launched in 2014, along with the health law’s Medicaid expansion provisions.
Haley said researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and the National Health Interview Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Haley said researchers could not tell why so many veterans were uninsured when they could have enrolled for healthcare coverage through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides care and federal benefits to veterans and their dependents.
“It could be that they live too far from a VA facility,” she said. “It could be they’re not aware they qualify for VA coverage. For example, if they don’t have a service-connected disability, then they may think they’re not eligible.”
Any person who served in the active military and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable is eligible for VA health benefits and services.
The Miami VA Healthcare System, which serves veterans in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties, served about 58,000 patients in 2014 and 2015, according a spokesman.

Share this article! Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Filed Under: Soup Du Jour

Primary Sidebar

    Submit News    

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Commends Governor Ron DeSantis’ Framework for Freedom Budget for Historic Investments in Economic Growth and Prosperity for Floridians, Businesses, and Rural Communities

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) today commends Governor Ron DeSantis for proposing … [Read More...] about Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Commends Governor Ron DeSantis’ Framework for Freedom Budget for Historic Investments in Economic Growth and Prosperity for Floridians, Businesses, and Rural Communities

Florida House Democrats Respond to Permitless Carry Proposal

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Immediately following the Speaker’s press conference, announcing the expansion of … [Read More...] about Florida House Democrats Respond to Permitless Carry Proposal

Florida Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to 15-Week Abortion Ban, Which Remains in Effect

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Supreme Court accepted a request by abortion providers today to hear arguments … [Read More...] about Florida Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to 15-Week Abortion Ban, Which Remains in Effect

Keep in Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Newsletter signup

Stay in the loop! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive a brief recap of the week's most popular stories.

Footer

News

  • Soup Du Jour
  • People
  • Government
  • Campaign
  • Business
  • Education
  • Insights
  • Video

About Us 

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Submit News
  • Contact Us

Keep in Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021
Terms & Conditions

© Copyright 2023 Capital Soup · All Rights Reserved ·