As we’ve written before, Kentucky has seen a dramatic drop in those without health insurance in every county, especially since 2013. Using the same Census estimates starting the year the Affordable Care Act became law, it is clear that 2014, the first year of Medicaid expansion and the insurance exchanges, is when Kentucky started to see large declines in uninsured residents.
By several counts, Kentucky saw the largest drop in uninsured, and those gains are now at risk with the American Health Care Act. With the potential for the effective elimination of the Medicaid expansion, as well as significant roll-backs of the premium subsidies (particularly for older Kentuckians), the Congressional Budget Office estimates 24 million Americans will lose coverage. An increase of uninsured to this degree would likely lead to large job losses in the healthcare and other industries, an increase in chronic disease, and a bigger strain on our state budget. Our healthcare gains are a success we cannot afford to do without.
