Healthcare Solutions for States With the Least Coverage

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Creative Healthcare Solutions for States with the Least Coverage

June 23 | 2 mins

A recent study by AdvisorSmith highlighted the fact that the U.S. is a rarity as one of the only high-income countries where a high proportion of residents lack health insurance coverage. The study examined the percentage of state residents lacking health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and the numbers may surprise you.

The Top 5 Uninsured States

That’s well over 10 million uninsured people in the top five states alone. If you enumerate the totals from the other 45 states and D.C., the picture narrows into focus. Too many Americans don’t have basic access to affordable healthcare, and not enough is being done to address it.

Insurance in the U.S. is regulated at the state level, so variances between state healthcare financing systems are vast. Discrepancies in policy support for health insurance, along with varying income levels between states, create wide disparities in the number of residents with health insurance coverage and health outcomes.

A Family Problem

For the Americans who are fortunate enough to have health coverage through their employer, there is still a significant setback to seeking affordable coverage for dependents. More than five million American workers are ineligible for subsidized coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for dependents because of their employer-sponsored insurance. The ACA prohibits people with an offer of affordable employer coverage from purchasing subsidized coverage through the ACA marketplace. Currently, the ACA bases the affordability of employer coverage on what it would cost to cover only workers and not their families.

According to census data, the number of children with health insurance in the U.S. declined for the third consecutive year in 2019, and certain parts of the country are worse off than others. According to a report by the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, Texas and Florida lead the states with a higher loss of health insurance for children.

An Affordable Option for Uninsured Families

With premiums escalating for each family member added to a health plan, many are forced to choose between daily survival or providing healthcare for their children. For this reason, many employers and employees have turned to direct primary care (DPC).

DPC is an excellent choice for people with or without health insurance. This monthly healthcare membership differs from insurance because it doesn’t generate claims or require deductibles to be met before use. A member can utilize their direct primary care membership to see a primary care physician as much as they need to with minimal out-of-pocket costs. And in the event of a catastrophic emergency, they can still utilize their health insurance. Consuming healthcare this way can make it more affordable for a patient and generate fewer claims that will impact their employer later.

In addition, direct primary care is also being implemented as a dependent-only option, so workers can keep their employer-paid plan and get primary care and chronic disease management for their spouse and children at an affordable monthly rate.