More New Jerseyans are getting vital health coverage, thanks mostly to the Affordable Care Act, including the Medicaid expansion. In fact, the share of Garden State residents with insurance has increased by 39 percent in just three years, with 455,000 people gaining coverage since 2013, according to the latest Census data released today.
The share of New Jerseyans without coverage was 8 percent in 2016, down from 13.2 percent in 2013 before the ACA reforms went into place. That’s fewer than nationally, where 8.8 percent are insured.
It’s clear that the expansion of Medicaid under the ACA has been a key driver of low-income Americans receiving health insurance. According to the Census release, the uninsured rate was nearly twice as high (11.7 percent) in states that didn’t expand Medicaid as in states that did (6.5 percent).
This remarkable progress we’ve made must not be undone by continued efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Our Congressional representatives must continue to work to improve the ACA, not dismantle it.
