Dive Brief:
- While progress has been made in reducing the veteran uninsurance rate under the provisions of the ACA, further progress is needed, according to a new report prepared by the Urban Institute with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
- From 2013 to 2015, as in the general population, uninsurance among veterans under 65 decreased, falling from 11.9% to 6.8%.
- However, significant gaps remain that could be narrowed if more states participate in Medicaid expansion; otherwise, more than 600,000 veterans will be uninsured in 2017, the report estimated.
Dive Insight:
Healthcare for veterans has been a major news point in recent years following revelations of rampant wait-time scandals and leadership issues within the VA health system, that have most recently resulted in a proposal to expand veterans' options for care by credentialing private physicians and hospitals to become part of a broader VA care network.
However, as noted by RWJF's Kathy Hempstead, not all veterans get health coverage through the VA, as eligibility includes factors such as service-connected disability status, discharge status and income.
The research concludes coverage gaps could be reduced for veterans and their families through efforts to increase take-up of coverage for which they may already qualify, including VA care, Medicaid or subsidized marketplace plans. However, the study particularly points toward expanding Medicaid in additional states.
“While the coverage situation for vets has improved a great deal, hundreds of thousands of veterans remain uninsured, many of whom would be eligible if their states expanded Medicaid," Hempstead stated. The research indicates a stark difference, projecting that in 2017, 70% of veterans will be eligible for Medicaid or subsidized coverage in expansion states, vs. just 39% in non-expansion states.