Coverage increased after ACA for patients with diabetes
(HealthDay)—For adults aged 18 to 64 years with diabetes, there was an increase in health insurance coverage after implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a study published online Feb. 23 in Diabetes Care.
Sarah S. Casagrande, Ph.D., from Social & Scientific Systems Inc., in Silver Spring, Md., and colleagues examined data from the 2009 and 2016 National Health Interview Surveys to examine changes in health insurance coverage and related costs before and after implementation of the ACA among 6,220 adults with diabetes.
The researchers observed an increase in health insurance coverage from 84.7 percent in 2009 to 90.1 percent in 2016 among adults with diabetes aged 18 to 64 years. For those aged ≥65 years, coverage remained near universal (99.5 percent). Coverage increased for almost all subgroups among those aged 18 to 64 years. Medicaid coverage increased significantly (from 19.4 to 24.3 percent) among adults aged 18 to 64 years. Private insurance decreased and Medicare Part D increased among adults aged ≥65 years. The proportion of income spent on family medical costs decreased among those aged 18 to 64 years with an income <$35,000 (from 6.3 percent in 2009 to 4.8 percent in 2016).
"Health insurance coverage among adults with diabetes age 18 to 64 years increased significantly after implementation of the ACA, and medical costs to families decreased among those with lower incomes," the authors write.
One author received funding from Social & Scientific Systems.
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