scholarly journals Poverty In The United States: A Continuing And Growing Problem

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Berch Haroian ◽  
Elizabeth C. Ekmekjian ◽  
Elias C. Grivoyannis
Keyword(s):  
Household Income ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Poverty Rate ◽  
Median Household Income ◽  
The Past ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
The Impact

<p class="Default" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">In recent years, the ability to deal with the problem of poverty in the US, in light of the new &ldquo;Federalism,&rdquo; is an area of interest to scholars. The poverty rate over the past 50 years has fluctuated from a high of 22.4% in 1959 to a low of 11.1% in 1973. Under George Bush&rsquo;s presidency, we again see an increase in the poverty rate to 12.7% in 2004. This paper provides an overview of poverty data for the 21<sup>st</sup> century, by region, race and age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>A discussion and comparison of median household income follows. Facts and figures are then provided/compared, tying in health care issues to income levels and citizenship/ethnicity. A brief introduction of the various attempts over the past years by the federal government to reduce the proportion of the American population that falls below the poverty line follows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This section merely provides a listing of programs designed to satisfy social and equity considerations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This paper does not provide the reader with the impact of these programs on the economy; a brief mention is provided to generate further thought and discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The paper concludes with a summary of key elements of the above issues. The sole purpose is to provide an overview of historical data as concerns poverty, median household income and health insurance coverage. The ability to deal with the problem of poverty in the U S, is left for another paper.</span></span></p>

Effects of Medicaid Expansion on Poverty Disparities in Health Insurance Coverage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yilu Lin ◽  
Alisha Monnette ◽  
Lizheng Shi
Keyword(s):  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Survey ◽  
Medicaid Expansion ◽  
Market Exchange ◽  
Federal Poverty Level ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Poverty Levels

Abstract Background: More than 30 States have either expanded Medicaid or considering expansion. The coverage gains from this policy is well documented, however, the impacts of its increasing coverage on poverty disparity are unclear at national level.Method: American Community Survey (2012-2018) was used to examine the effects of Medicaid expansion (ME) on poverty disparity in insurance coverage for nonelderly adults in the United States. Differences-in-differences-in-differences design was used to analyze the trends in uninsured rates (UR) by different poverty levels: <138%, 138–400% and >400% federal poverty level (FPL).Results: Compared with UR in 2012, UR in 2018 decreased by 10.75%, 6.42%, and 1.11% for <138%, 138-400%, and >400% FPL. From 2012-2018, >400% FPL group continuously had the lowest UR and <138% FPL group had the highest UR. Compared with ≥ 138% FPL groups, there was a 2.54% reduction in uninsured risk after ME among <138% FPL group in ME states versus control states. After eliminating the impact of the ACA market exchange premium subsidy, 3.18% decrease was estimated. Conclusion: Poverty disparity in UR improved with ME. However, <138% FPL population are still at a higher risk for being uninsured.

The association between health insurance coverage disruptions and access to care and affordability among cancer survivors in the United States.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (27_suppl) ◽  
pp. 121-121
Author(s):  
Jingxuan Zhao ◽  
Xuesong Han ◽  
Leticia Maciel Nogueira ◽  
Ahmedin Jemal ◽  
K Robin Yabroff
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Access To Care ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Preventive Services ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Health ◽  
The Past ◽  
Services Use

121 Background: Having health insurance is a strong predictor of access to care and affordability. To date, most studies evaluating the effects of insurance coverage measured it only at a single time point. Little is known about the effects of coverage disruptions. This study aims to assess associations of a health insurance coverage disruption with access and affordability among cancer survivors in the United States. Methods: We identified 6476 cancer survivors aged 18-64 years with current health insurance coverage from the 2011-2017 National Health Interview Survey. Coverage disruption was measured by the question “In the past 12 months, was there any time when you did not have any health insurance or coverage?”. Access to care and affordability was measured by: 1) preventive services use (e.g. blood pressure check); and 2) forgoing care because of cost, respectively, in the past 12 months. We used separate multivariable logistic models to evaluate the associations between a coverage disruption and healthcare access and affordability, by current health insurance coverage. Results: Among survivors with current health insurance coverage, 3.7% of those with private and 8.1% with public insurance reported a coverage disruption in the past 12 months. Among survivors with current private coverage, those with a recent coverage disruption reported lower likelihood of any preventive services use (OR = 0.1, 95% CI: 0.1-0.3) and higher likelihood of forgoing any care because of cost (OR = 6.0, 95% CI: 3.9-9.5) compared to those with continuous private coverage. Among survivors with current public coverage, those with a recent coverage disruption reported lower likelihood of any preventive services use (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9) and higher likelihood of forgoing any care because of cost (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.5-7.3) compared to those with continuous public coverage. Conclusions: Currently insured cancer survivors with a recent health insurance coverage disruption were more likely to report problems in access to care and affordability compared to the continuously insured. Improving private and public insurance coverage continuity may be effective in addressing these problems.

scholarly journals A national study of the association between language use and health insurance coverage in the United States

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Garth Nigel Graham ◽  
Rashida Dorsey
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Study ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

Background: A significant proportion of individuals seen in US hospitals speak a language other than English. A number of reports have shown that individuals who speak a language other than English have diminished access to care, but few have examined specifically language barriers and its relationship to health insurance coverage. Objectives: To estimate the impact of language use on prevalence of reported health insurance coverage across multiple racial and ethnic groups and among persons living in the U.S. for varying periods of time. Design and participants: Cross sectional study using data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey. Main measures: The main outcome measure is health insurance status. Key results: Persons who spoke Spanish or a language other than English were less likely to have insurance. Among Hispanics who speak Spanish or a language other than English, only 50.6% report having health insurance coverage compared to 76.7% of Hispanics who speak only or mostly English. For non-Hispanic whites who speak Spanish or a language other than English, 71.7% report having health insurance coverage compared to 83.4% of non-Hispanic whites who speak only or mostly English, this same pattern was observed across all racial/ethnic groups. Among those speaking only or mostly English living in the U.S. <15 years had significantly lower adjusted odds of reporting health insurance coverage compared to those born in the United States. Conclusions: This was a large nationally representative study describing language differences in insurance access using a multi-ethnic population. This data suggest that individuals who speak a language other than English are less likely to have insurance across all racial and ethnic groups and nativity and years in the United States groups, underscoring the significant independent importance of language as a predictor for access to insurance.

scholarly journals Effects of medicaid expansion on poverty disparities in health insurance coverage

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yilu Lin ◽  
Alisha Monnette ◽  
Lizheng Shi
Keyword(s):  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
National Level ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medicaid Expansion ◽  
Market Exchange ◽  
Federal Poverty Level ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Poverty Levels

Abstract Background More than 30 states have either expanded Medicaid or are actively considering expansion. The coverage gains from this policy are well documented, however, the impacts of its increasing coverage on poverty disparity are unclear at the national level. Method American Community Survey (2012–2018) was used to examine the effects of Medicaid expansion on poverty disparity in insurance coverage for nonelderly adults in the United States. Differences-in-differences-in-differences design was used to analyze trends in uninsured rates by poverty levels: (1) < 138 %, (2) 138–400 % and (3) > 400 % federal poverty level (FPL). Results Compared with uninsured rates in 2012, uninsured rates in 2018 decreased by 10.75 %, 6.42 %, and 1.11 % for < 138 %, 138–400 %, and > 400 % FPL, respectively. From 2012 to 2018, > 400 % FPL group continuously had the lowest uninsured rate and < 138 % FPL group had the highest uninsured rate. Compared with ≥ 138 % FPL groups, there was a 2.54 % reduction in uninsured risk after Medicaid expansion among < 138 % FPL group in Medicaid expansion states versus control states. After eliminating the impact of the ACA market exchange premium subsidy, 3.18 % decrease was estimated. Conclusion Poverty disparity in uninsured rates improved with Medicaid expansion. However, < 138 % FPL population are still at a higher risk for being uninsured.

Health Concerns for Mexican Migrants in Central Florida: Collaborations with the Sending State via Mobile Consulates and Hometown Associations

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-47
Author(s):  
Heide Castañeda ◽  
James Arango
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Immigration Reform ◽  
Mexican Migrants ◽  
Hometown Associations ◽  
Care Giving ◽  
The Impact

Contemporary debates on health and immigration reform often display a lack of understanding of how limited health care access can aggravate problems and contribute to major disparities. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, designed to ensure broader health insurance coverage for populations across the United States, is likely to actually reduce access to care for many immigrants by isolating them from the general, formerly uninsured, population (Arredondo et al. 2012; Bustamante et al. 2012; Zuckerman, Waidmann, and Lawton 2011). These changes will become increasingly relevant to practicing and applied anthropologists working in health care settings and seeking to ameliorate the impact of potentially reduced resources. Anthropologists must be attentive to these shifting processes of care-giving and seeking that impact vulnerable populations (Horton et al. 2014) and help to identify and propose solutions for the future.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Health, and the Elusive Target of Human Rights

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lance Gable
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Affordable Care Act ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Patient Protection ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Impact

The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in March 2010 represents a significant turning point in the evolution of health care law and policy in the United States. By establishing a legal infrastructure that seeks to achieve universal health insurance coverage in the United States, the ACA targets some of the major impediments to accessing needed health care for millions of Americans and by extension attempts to strengthen the health system to support key determinants of health. Yet, like many newly passed legislative provisions, the ultimate effects and significance of the ACA remain uncertain. Those charged with implementing the ACA face formidable obstacles — indeed, some of the same obstacles that have been erected to impede other major pieces of social legislation in the past — including entrenched political opposition, constitutional challenges, and what will likely be a prolonged struggle over the content and direction of how the law is implemented. As these debates continue, it is nevertheless important to begin to assess the impact that the ACA has already had on health law in the United States and to consider the likely effects that the law will have on public health going forward.

Data Processing Improvements for Estimates of Health Insurance Coverage in the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement

2021 ◽  
pp. 107755872110008
Author(s):  
Edward R. Berchick ◽  
Heide Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Data Processing ◽  
Current Population Survey ◽  
Population Survey ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Insurance Data ◽  
Current Population

Estimates of health insurance coverage in the United States rely on household-based surveys, and these surveys seek to improve data quality amid a changing health insurance landscape. We examine postcollection processing improvements to health insurance data in the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), one of the leading sources of coverage estimates. The implementation of updated data extraction and imputation procedures in the CPS ASEC marks the second stage of a two-stage improvement and the beginning of a new time series for health insurance estimates. To evaluate these changes, we compared estimates from two files that introduce the updated processing system with two files that use the legacy system. We find that updates resulted in higher rates of health insurance coverage and lower rates of dual coverage, among other differences. These results indicate that the updated data processing improves coverage estimates and addresses previously noted limitations of the CPS ASEC.

scholarly journals The convergence of racial and income disparities in health insurance coverage in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
De-Chih Lee ◽  
Hailun Liang ◽  
Leiyu Shi
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Combined Effect ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
The Us ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Vulnerability Measure

Abstract Objective This study applied the vulnerability framework and examined the combined effect of race and income on health insurance coverage in the US. Data source The household component of the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC) of 2017 was used for the study. Study design Logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between insurance coverage status and vulnerability measure, comparing insured with uninsured or insured for part of the year, insured for part of the year only, and uninsured only, respectively. Data collection/extraction methods We constructed a vulnerability measure that reflects the convergence of predisposing (race/ethnicity), enabling (income), and need (self-perceived health status) attributes of risk. Principal findings While income was a significant predictor of health insurance coverage (a difference of 6.1–7.2% between high- and low-income Americans), race/ethnicity was independently associated with lack of insurance. The combined effect of income and race on insurance coverage was devastating as low-income minorities with bad health had 68% less odds of being insured than high-income Whites with good health. Conclusion Results of the study could assist policymakers in targeting limited resources on subpopulations likely most in need of assistance for insurance coverage. Policymakers should target insurance coverage for the most vulnerable subpopulation, i.e., those who have low income and poor health as well as are racial/ethnic minorities.

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