Dive Brief:
- A recent study published in Health Affairs estimated if the uninsured rate dropped by half under the ACA's coverage expansion, approximately 1.5 million newly insured would be likely to be diagnosed with at least one chronic condition, with another 659,000 having better-controlled diseases.
- The authors examined data from the National Center for Health Statistics' National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999 to 2012) that included information of 28,000 people ages 20 to 64. Additional data included Congressional Budget Office projections of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) effects.
- Overall, insured people had a higher probability of chronic disease diagnosis versus those uninsured. The insured had better levels of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.
Dive Insight:
Senior study author, Joshua Salomon, professor of global health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said: "these effects constitute a major positive outcome from the ACA. Our study suggests that insurance expansion is likely to have a large and meaningful effect on diagnosis and management of some of the most important chronic illnesses affecting the U.S. population."
These results cast a favorable light on ACA's objective of improving health, but, Salomon concluded: "they also remind us that there is an urgent need to ensure that the U.S. healthcare system is equipped to provide high-quality care for large numbers of people who will be newly diagnosed with a chronic disease."
According to HHS, more than 13.1 million additional people are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP as of June, compared to before October 2013.