The latest reports from the Health and Human Services Department have revealed a significant drop in uninsured rates among Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americans between 2010 and 2022. This positive trend is attributed to more patients gaining health coverage from the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, Medicaid, and employer plans.
According to the data, the uninsured rate among Black Americans decreased to just under 11 percent from roughly 21 percent, while the rate among Hispanic Americans dropped even more, to 18 percent from almost 33 percent. Among Asian Americans, the rate fell to just over 6 percent from nearly 17 percent, and among Native Americans to roughly 20 percent from more than 32 percent.
Neera Tanden, the White House domestic policy adviser, highlighted that these reports provide some of the first comprehensive data on marketplace insurance rates broken down by race and ethnicity. The drops in uninsured rates have significantly narrowed the gaps between ethnic groups, with the uninsured rate among Black Americans now only four percentage points higher than for white Americans in 2022, compared to almost eight percentage points higher in 2010.
The success of the Affordable Care Act in expanding coverage is evident in the continued decrease in national uninsured rates, reaching a record low in early 2023. White House officials largely credit enhanced subsidies for marketplace plans for the recent coverage increases, with marketplace enrollment doubling for Black and Hispanic Americans between 2020 and 2023.
Critics of the subsidies argue that they are a costly way to offer mediocre health coverage, pointing out the high price tag of $64 billion for a three-year extension. However, President Biden has emphasized the importance of these subsidies in his health policy agenda, warning that they could be at risk if former President Donald J. Trump were to win the White House in November.
Looking ahead, the Biden administration is investing heavily to help more people enroll in marketplace plans. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a $500 million investment over five years for more insurance “navigators” to assist Americans in enrolling in marketplace plans. This funding, the largest single-year investment in the program so far, aims to further increase access to affordable health coverage for all Americans.
