Dec 5, 2018 - Health

Health insurance coverage helps people afford housing

Sam Baker

Homes in Ohio. — Houses in Ohio. Photo: Dustin Franz for The Washington Post via Getty Images

People near the poverty line who have access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act are about 25% less likely to fall behind on a rent or mortgage payment than people who don't have coverage, according to a new study summarized in CityLab.

Details: The study compared people who fall into the ACA's "coverage gap," in states that haven't expanded Medicaid, against similarly situated people in expansion states (where there's no coverage gap).

To some extent these findings are to be expected: Money is fungible, and the more help you have covering one cost, the more likely you'll also be able to cover another cost.
But the effect turned out bigger than expected, one of the study's authors told CityLab.
And it's also an indication that people can't simply skip a visit to the doctor, even if it means putting yourself at greater risk for eviction.

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Health insurance coverage helps people afford housing

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