Dec 16, 2017 - Health

How Affordable Care Act cutbacks will hurt minority communities

Alexi McCammond

The Trump administration cut the Affordable Care Act federal insurance enrollment period in half (to 45 days), which has people scrambling to get insurance before time's up. But the administration's cutbacks to the program overall could have a disproportionate effect on minority communities, per NYT.

Why it matters: The Affordable Care Act has reduced the disparities in coverage across minority groups, even as African Americans and Hispanics throughout the country remain more likely than whites to be uninsured.

By the numbers:

16% of Hispanics overall remain uninsured, down from 24.4% in 2013.
10.5% of African Americans overall remain uninsured, down from 15.9% in 2013.
Among Hispanics ages 18-64, the uninsured rate is 17.9 percentage points higher than whites of the same age. In 2013, the difference was 26 percentage points.
Among African Americans ages 18-64, the uninsured rate is 4.6 percentage points higher than whites of the same age. In 2013, the gap was 10.4 percentage points.

One example of how the administrations cuts is already affecting minority communities, detailed by NYT, is at the Center for Family Services in New Jersey. The nonprofit center assists local residents across seven counties. After its federal funding was cut by 64%, the staff of 21 members who collectively spoke six different languages has been reduced to a staff of six that only speaks English and Spanish.

With a reduced enrollment period and a smaller staff, it's difficult for nonprofit groups like this to serve residents who need help signing up for insurance. “We're still getting out there and doing events," Pamela Gray, a navigator with the group, told NYT, “but the less people, the less people you're able to serve."

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How Affordable Care Act cutbacks will hurt minority communities

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