In a move to provide health care for the underprivileged, the Affordable Care Actoffered a Medicaid expansion—one that, to date, 19 states have still not accepted. However, a new survey suggests that the two largest states without Medicaid expansion would welcome it with open arms.
The survey was conducted by Nielsen and released by Houston’s Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute, evaluating five densely populated states including Ohio, California, Texas, Florida and New York. The 5,000 participants were asked an array of questions including political party and basic health questions like height and weight. The results, however, were far more in depth and revealed a few truths about Medicaid and its part in the Affordable Care Act’s process.
Of the five aforementioned states, only three have partaken in the federal funding available to them with regard to Medicaid expansion. Those states are Ohio, California, and New York. The survey suggests that those respondents living in those states agree to the Medicaid expansion. While Texas and Florida have denied Medicaid expansion, two-thirds of their polled residents wish the Republican politicians would agree to it—63% of the polled Texans and 68% of the polled Floridians. Texas and Florida also ranked higher in concern for receiving health care, proving that a Medicaid expansion would quell some of those fears. While that is certainly a step in the right direction for the Affordable Care Act’s move to provide health care for all, many of the polled residents of the five states had universal issues with the ACA.
58% advised that their out-of-pocket costs have risen in the past few years, while 87% couldn’t even afford theHealth Insurance Marketplace. 45% felt they had to “cut down on other expenses to pay for health care.” Every state agreed at almost 100% that health insurance is important for them and their families, while a fraction of them felt it wasn’t important at all or they were undecided. An impressive percentage revealed that across the board of the five states, a median 70% felt that the government should provide health care for all U.S. citizens.
The report reveals many other aspects of health and health care, but the main message rings true: citizens want health careor themselves and other citizens. Perhaps the government surrounding each state should take note.
To view the survey in its entirety, click here.