The Impact of the Coverage Gap in States not Expanding Medicaid by Race and Ethnicity

Dec 12, 2013
  • Description

One of the major vehicles in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to increase health insurance coverage is an expansion of Medicaid to adults with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL). While this expansion was intended to occur nationwide, it was effectively made a state option by the Supreme Court decision on the ACA. In states that do not expand Medicaid, many poor uninsured adults will not gain a new coverage option and will likely remain uninsured. This brief examines the impact of this coverage gap by race and ethnicity.