The Affordable Care Act and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

On May 1, 2012, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation issued a research brief regarding the Affordable Care Act and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.  The brief provides new estimates that suggest that in 2016, 2.0 million out of the 2.5 million Asian Americans who would otherwise be uninsured will gain or be eligible for coverage.  The following provides an overview of the coverage and benefits available to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2012 and those beginning in 2014 as detailed in the brief.

Applicable Now

• An estimated 2.7 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with private insurance now have access to expanded preventive services with no-cost sharing.  These services include well-child visits, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, Pap smears and mammograms for women, and flu shots for children and adults.
• The 867,000 elderly and disabled Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who receive health coverage from Medicare also have access to an expanded list of preventive services with no cost-sharing, including annual wellness visits with personalized prevention plans, diabetes and colorectal cancer screening, bone mass measurement and mammograms.
• 97,000 young Asian American and Pacific Islander adults between ages 19 and 25 who would have been uninsured now have coverage under their parent’s employer-sponsored or individually purchased health plan.
• Major federal investments to improve quality of care are improving management of chronic diseases that are more prevalent among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Applicable in 2014 and Thereafter

• In 2016, an estimated 2.0 out of the 2.5 million Asian Americans who would otherwise be uninsured will be eligible for coverage through the expansion of Medicaid eligibility, through subsidized coverage in the Affordable Insurance Exchanges, or will be newly covered by their employers.
• Medicaid coverage expands to include Americans with family incomes at or below 133% of the federal poverty guidelines (currently $30,657 for a family of four) in 2014. This expansion includes adults without dependent children living at home, who have not previously been eligible in most states. These individuals will benefit by having stable health coverage through the Medicaid program.
• Individuals with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty guidelines (currently $92,200 for a family of four) will be eligible to purchase subsidized coverage from the new Affordable Insurance Exchanges.
• Investments in data collection and research will help us better understand the causes of health care disparities and develop effective programs to eliminate them.
• Targeted interventions, such as Community Transformation Grants, will promote healthy lifestyles, lower health care costs, and reduce health disparities.
• Increased funding available to the more than 1,100 community health centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico will increase the number of patients served.

Posted on: May 1, 2012