title: A Long Way in a Short Time: States' Progress on Health Care Coverage and Access, 2013-2015.
abstract: Issue: The Affordable Care Act’s policy reforms sought to expand health insurance coverage and make health care more affordable. As the nation prepares for policy changes under a new administration, we assess recent gains and challenges. Goal: To compare access to affordable health care across the U.S. between 2013 and 2015. Methods: Analysis of most recent publicly available data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
  Key findings and conclusions: Between 2013 and 2015, uninsured rates for adults ages 19 to 64 declined in all states and by at least 3 percentage points in 48 states and the District of Columbia. For children, uninsured rates declined by at least 2 percentage points in 28 states. The share of adults age 18 and older who reported forgoing a visit to the doctor when needed because of costs dropped by at least 2 percentage points in 38 states and D.C. In contrast, there was little
  progress in expanding access to dental care for adults, which is not a required benefit under the ACA. These findings illustrate the impact that policy can have on access to care and offer a focal point for assessing future policy changes.
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Fund, USA. slh@cmwf.org
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Fund, USA.
authors.forename: Sara R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Fund, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Radley
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Fund, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Fund, USA.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beutel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005544:Forecasting; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D011203:Poverty; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data