A new study by a national nonprofit concludes Kentucky’s increase in the number of people with health insurance is threatened by congressional proposals. Sara Collins is a senior scholar with the Commonwealth Fund. She said the Affordable Care Act passed during the Obama Administration set the stage for a massive reduction in the number of people without health insurance.
“Kentucky's uninsured rate dropped from 21 percent in 2013 to 8 percent in 2023. Kentucky essentially cut its uninsured rate in half as a result of the expansions put in place.”
Collins said House and Senate plans to cut Medicaid and not extend premium tax credits expanded during the pandemic could lead to 237-thousand Kentuckians becoming uninsured within a few years. The study also shows Kentucky has high and growing numbers of children without all recommended vaccinations.
“Kentucky ranks 44th on that measure, close to the bottom. The vaccination rate for children actually worsened between 2019 and 2023 dropping from about 70 percent to just 64 percent.”
The study, titled “Fragile Progress, Continuing Disparities,” was released Wednesday.
