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Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner

The uninsured in Washington state

Approximately 1 million Washingtonians have no health insurance at all, according to a study we released in December 2011. That trend is likely to continue until 2014, when the major provisions of federal health care reform are slated to take effect.

Key factors driving the rise in the number of uninsured include:

Uninsured in Washington


  • Stagnant incomes
  • Continued high unemployment
  • Health care costs that continue to outpace inflation
  • Increased costs born by employees for their coverage, including a larger share of premiums, higher deductibles and higher co-pays.

 

 

In 2014, major provisions of federal health care reform, known as The Affordable Care Act, are slated to take effect. The act will expand Medicaid coverage to nearly 355,000 more Washingtonians. An additional 460,000 will be eligible for subsidies to help them purchase affordable health coverage. In addition, we believe that uncompensated medical care -- charity care and bad debt -- is now approximately $1 billion a year.

Uncompensated care




Updated 12/15/2011

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