What Happens When Public Coverage Is No Longer Available?

Publication Date: January 2006

Publisher: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

Type: Brief

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

This policy brief examines national data to determine the share of current enrollees of public health coverage programs who would have alternate coverage options if public coverage were no longer available. The authors estimate that no more than 9 percent of low-income adults would have access to an alternative source of insurance in the absence of public coverage. This research suggests that the vast majority of current enrollees affected by cutbacks in eligibility for public programs, particularly those with the lowest incomes, are likely to be left uninsured.