Ohio one of eight states to see uninsured rate rise, even with Medicaid expansion

F all you Republicans. Trump regime cut advertising and navigator funding for the ACA by 90% and also made the enrollment period shorter. Maybe that was the plan all along so they could leave people uninsured. Republicans hate Medicaid and the ACA because they actually help people.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The uninsured population grew 1.9 million nationally last year, marking the first increase since 2009, while median household income was relatively flat and the poverty rate dropped, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday.

The percent of people without insurance for the entire year increased from 7.9%, or 25.6 million people, in 2017 to 8.5%, or 27.5 million in 2018, the Census Bureau estimated.

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John Corlett, executive director of the Center for Community Solutions in Cleveland, said the non-profit was "concerned that the number of uninsured Ohioans is climbing, but even more concerning is the increase in the number of children in the United States who are uninsured. ... Now it is even more important for Ohio to ensure that its enrollment systems are working efficiently, and to activate outreach efforts to get uninsured children covered.”

The Census Bureau did not speculate on reasons for the drop in health insurance rates. But the Trump administration has cut funding for health-care navigators who sign people up for insurance on the Obamacare exchange and can also lead people to Medicaid.

In Ohio, the number of Medicaid recipients has dropped almost every month from June 2017 and June 2018 – a total decrease of 8.1 percent.

month from June 2017 and June 2018 – a total decrease of 8.1 percent.

“Typically a large share of these folks are eligible for Medicaid, and so it just means Ohio needs to make sure its enrollment services are not removing people” who still qualify, Corlett said.

https://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/2019/09/ohio-and-us-uninsured-rates-increase-in-2018-census-bureau-says.html