Millions of poor people will remain without health insurance because they live in states - many of which are largely controlled by Republicans - that have refused to expand Medicaid, according to a New York Times analysis of census data. The move disproportionally affects blacks, single mothers and low-wage workers. Meanwhile, experts have begun to worry that people will begin to lose interest in signing up for health insurance on the online health exchanges if the website's glitches aren't solved soon.
Millions of Poor Are Left Uncovered by Health Law (NY Times)
- The national push to extend health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans will leave out two-thirds of poor blacks, single mothers and more than half of low-wage workers without insurance, according to an analysis of census data by The New York Times.
- These people live in states largely controlled by Republicans, which have refused to participate in an expansion of Medicaid. That leaves nearly eight million impoverished Americans uninsured and ineligible for help.
- The 26 states that rejected expanding Medicaid are home to about half of the country's population, with 68 percent of poor, uninsured blacks and single mothers. And about 60 percent of the nation's working poor are in those states as well.
- Every state in the Deep South, except Arkansas, has rejected the expansion of Medicaid.
- Poor people excluded from the expansion will not be subject to fines for lacking health insurance. The Times analysis found that about 14 million eligible Americans are uninsured and living poverty.
"Please stay on this page." But will they? (NBC News)
- The technical glitches on the online health exchanges continued Wednesday, as some experts began to worry that Americans used to fast Internet speeds would lose interest in signing up for health insurance.
- More than 6.1 million people have tried to log on since the health exchanges launched on Tuesday morning. But there is no word on how many people actually enrolled.
- While online traffic continued to back up the federal site, many people could sign up on exchanges run by individual states that chose to do so.
- People have until Dec. 15 to enroll for health coverage online that will start on Jan. 1. The sign-up period will span until the end of March to sign up for 2014.