RACIAL GAPS IN ACCESS to health care narrowed after the Affordable Care Act took effect, a new study says, yet stubborn disparities persist.
These gaps in health insurance coverage have fallen across the country since 2014, especially in states that expanded eligibility for Medicaid, according to the analysis from The Commonwealth Fund, a health care foundation. Researchers assessed access to care by looking at the shares of adults 19 to 64 years old who lacked insurance coverage from 2013 to 2018, as well as those 18 to 64 who skipped health care due to cost concerns and those who had a regular source of care, such as a primary care doctor or a nurse practitioner. Groups were divided by race and ethnicity.
“Ensuring that everyone can afford and receive high-quality health care is essential to a high-performing health system,” Sara Collins, The Commonwealth Fund’s vice president for health care coverage and access, said in a call with reporters Wednesday. Continue reading.