New numbers from Gallup show Indiana’s neighbors all lowered their uninsured rate, with Kentucky showing the largest drop from 20 percent uninsured to 12 percent so far this year.
Maureen Groppe has more:
In addition to having a higher uninsured rate than Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan, Indiana’s rate is now also above the national rate of about 13 percent, the lowest rate Gallup has measured since it started tracking the figure six years ago.
“While a majority of Americans continue to disapprove of the Affordable Care Act, the uninsured rate is declining, as the law intended,” Gallup said in its release.
Indiana’s uninsured rate has stayed around 15 percent. Gov. Pence’s plan to expand HIP 2.0 using federal dollars has also stalled with many conservatives calling for him to abandon the plan, stating monthly contributions by participants are a serious barrier.
J. Scott Moody, who heads the group State Budget Solutions, said last week that Pence’s alternative is just as bad as traditional Medicaid because Indiana will still become increasingly dependent on the government program and more spending by the public sector means there’s less money available in the private sector.
