The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will bring 30 million newly insured patients to hospitals and physicians. What are some demographic traits of this large incoming group of patients? A new report from PwC paints a portrait.
The PPACA extends health insurance to roughly 30 million Americans through Medicaid expansion and newly created health insurance exchanges. The median age of the newly insured is 33 compared with that of the currently insured, 31. This is largely due to children accounting for a smaller portion of the newly insured than the currently insured, according to the report. The newly insured will also have a median income that is 166 percent of the federal poverty level compared with 333 percent for the currently insured.
Here are more demographic statistics from PwC's Health Research Institute analysis, which utilizes a combination of data from the current population survey, medical expenditure survey and Congressional Budget Office publications. (Note: NI represents newly insured, CI represents currently insured.)
Health status
Excellent —— NI: 26 percent | CI: 37 percent
Very good —— NI: 29 percent | CI: 33 percent
Good —— NI: 33 percent | CI: 21 percent
Fair —— NI: 9 percent | CI: 6 percent
Poor —— NI: 3 percent | CI: 2 percent
Employment status
Not in labor force —— NI: 27 percent | CI: 24 percent
Employed, full-time —— NI: 42 percent | CI: 59 percent
Employed, part-time —— NI: 17 percent | CI: 12 percent
Unemployed —— NI: 14 percent | CI: 5 percent
Marital status
Married —— NI: 32 percent, CI: 31 percent
Single —— NI: 52 percent, CI: 29 percent
Child —— NI: 16 percent, CI: 40 percent
Language
English —— NI: 69 percent, CI: 88 percent
Spanish —— NI: 24 percent, CI: 7 percent
Other —— NI: 5 percent, CI: 4 percent
Unknown —— NI: 1 percent, CI: 1 percent
Educational attainment
High school or less —— NI: 61 percent, CI: 35 percent
Some college, no degree —— NI: 17 percent, CI: 18 percent
Associates degree —— NI: 8 percent, CI: 11 percent
Bachelors degree —— NI: 11 percent, CI: 24 percent
Graduate degree —— NI: 3 percent, CI: 13 percent
Race
White —— NI: 75 percent, CI: 79 percent
Black —— NI: 16 percent, CI: 13 percent
Asian —— NI: 5 percent, CI: 5 percent
Multiracial —— NI: 2 percent, CI: 2 percent
Native American/Pacific Islander/Alaskan Native —— NI: 2 percent, CI: 1 percent
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