Alabama – Hundreds of Thousands of Alabamians Living Without Health Insurance
hundreds of thousands of individuals in Alabama are living without health insurance, despite being employed. The lack of coverage prevents many from seeing a doctor when they need one.
Alabama Hospital Association leaders are taking action to close this coverage gap and investing in the state’s health. According to Danne Howard, the Deputy Director of the AHA, this investment could lead to significant payoffs down the road.
The problem stems from Medicaid, as the working Alabamians make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to buy private insurance. Alabama is one of the ten states that has not expanded Medicaid to adults without children or disabilities.
Alabama Arise, a statewide community organization that focuses on poverty-affected communities, estimates that around 300,000 people in the state are affected by this coverage gap.
The Deputy Director of AHA hopes to change this by finding a way to provide healthcare insurance to these individuals. Providing coverage would lead to a healthier population, further improving the state’s health outcomes. Additionally, a healthier workforce would pump more money back into the economy.
The Alabama Hospital Association is developing a plan that appeals to both political parties and could provide coverage to more people. However, nothing has changed yet. Stay tuned for more updates.
