WCCF Analysis Finds that Adults in Rural Counties Are Most Likely to Benefit
A new analysis by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families (WCCF) shows that over a quarter of a million uninsured Wisconsinites could become eligible for health insurance coverage in 2014 if Wisconsin takes full advantage of measures in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the federal health care reform law.
Our analysis of Census Bureau Survey data found that about 170,000 uninsured Wisconsinites would meet the income eligibility standard if Wisconsin uses the ACA to close the gap in BadgerCare for adults low-income adults (below 138% of the federal poverty level) who don’t have dependent children. An additional 215,000 uninsured adults with income up to 400 percent of the poverty level could get subsidized coverage through the new health insurance exchange if they do not have access to affordable employer sponsored coverage.
Based on that data and the experience with health care reform in Massachusetts, we estimate that Wisconsin would be able to get at least 250,000 more people insured if it takes full advantage of the ACA. This would be a huge plus for the state economy because it would bring substantial federal funding into Wisconsin, ensure a healthier workforce, and significantly reduce the current cost shifting for uncompensated care.“The ACA is making it possible to fill a critical hole in our health care infrastructure,” said Ken Taylor, executive director of WCCF. “Wisconsin can’t afford to let this kind of opportunity go to waste. Let’s improve BadgerCare, and take another step toward getting everybody covered.”
The paper released today, “Census Figures Shed Light on Wisconsinites Who Could Gain Access to Insurance under the Health Care Reform Law” features county-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau on who is uninsured in Wisconsin, and which of those families and individuals could potentially gain insurance coverage as a result of the ACA.
The WCCF analysis found that Wisconsin’s rural areas have higher percentages of adults who are uninsured and can potentially gain access to health insurance in 2014 through the ACA. The following six counties, which include Milwaukee and five rural counties, have the highest ratio of uninsured adults who are below 400% of the poverty level, measured as a percentage of the county’s total population of non-elderly adults:
- Clark County – 17.8% of all non-elderly adults in the county are uninsured and below 400 percent of the poverty level.
- Menominee County – 16.9%
- Sawyer County – 16.7%
- Milwaukee County – 16.0%
- Forest County – 15.0%
- Burnett County – 14.6%
The report includes two maps illustrating the county-level patterns of insurance coverage.
Jon Peacock
