The ACA and its Impact on Latinos

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The Affordable Care Act has provided health insurance to over 20 million people (including an estimated 4.2 million Latinos) since its inception four years ago. During that time, one of the main questions has been are the people who now have reliable health care coverage better off than before. Several new studies have been released recently emphasizing the ACA’s successes.

Due to the ACA, participants are now less likely to have medical debt or postpone care because of the associated costs. They are more likely to now have a regular primary care doctor and to take advantage of preventive medical services, such as vaccines and screenings. One study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, noted how low-income individuals in Arkansas (6.7% Latino population) and Kentucky (3% Latino population) appear to be healthier than their peers in Texas (38% Latino population).

The survey found people in Arkansas and Kentucky were nearly 5% more likely than similar individuals in Texas to say they were in excellent health in 2015. The difference was larger than it had been the year before. The authors cautioned that their results can’t prove that Medicaid expansion caused people to be healthier. There are differences between Arkansas and Kentucky as well. Kentucky expanded Medicaid in a more conventional way, while Arkansas tried an innovative expansion, offering its low-income residents private insurance. Texas has not yet expanded Medicaid.

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Also, researchers found that, in states that took part in the expansion, people with ACA coverage were more likely to have a doctor and a “place to go for care.” They were also more likely to have chronic diseases treated, and were more likely to have screenings for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which are markers for heart disease and diabetes. According to the American Heart Association, Latinos, however, face even higher risks of cardiovascular diseases because of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

In terms of finance, people in Kentucky and Arkansas (according to the study) were less likely to postpone care or avoid taking prescribed drugs because of the cost, and that they were less likely to be struggling with a medical bill. According to the study though, it will take more time, and more research, to be sure whether the ACA really is making Americans healthier and more secure.