The health research organization The Commonwealth Fund released state fact sheets this week showing changes over time in the percentage of uninsured adults, and enrollment in marketplace plans and Medicaid, among other things.
The report outlined the changes to health care coverage and access since the inception of the Affordable Care Act.
In West Virginia, the number of uninsured adults went from 23 percent in 2010, to 9 percent in 2017. For the same time period, the number of adults who went without care because of cost fell from 24 to 18 percent.
More than half a million people – about a third of the population – are on Medicaid. And more than 27,000 people got coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces – 86 percent of those received financial assistance for their coverage.
The infographics were released ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. In a preface, the Commonwealth Fund said that health care is a top concern for many voters who are worried about the costs of care and funding for Medicaid and Medicare.
Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Marshall Health, Charleston Area Medical Center and WVU Medicine.