Despite Gains From ACA, Lower Rates of Health Insurance Coverage Persist Among Those Lacking Housing Basics
Study focus: Whether having housing is related to the likelihood of having health insurance coverage.
Participants: Authors use pre-ACA and post-ACA data for people ages 0–64 from the 2013 and 2018 American Community Survey, which contains responses from almost 3 million individuals.
Outcomes studied: Authors compared people ages 0–64 who had complete housing amenities with those who lacked one basic housing necessity. Basic necessities are defined as having a bathtub or shower, a sink with a faucet, a stove or range, and a refrigerator. Data are stratified based on these federal poverty level (FPL) income categories: <100% FPL; 100%-399%; 400% or more FPL.
Findings: Despite declines in uninsurance for all income levels between 2013 and 2018, uninsurance rates for those who had all basic housing necessities were lower and had larger percentage declines compared to those who lacked at least one basic housing necessity, particularly among the two lowest income groups. The findings suggest that having housing that lacks at least one basic necessity is associated with being uninsured.
Read the Publication: