For all the criticisms and issues surrounding the Affordable Care Act and as its existence hangs in the balance, it is, in fact, making people healthier, according to a growing body of evidence from states across the country.
The number of individuals with health insurance is declining, partially due to rollbacks of the ACA, which is leading more individuals to have medical debts. But a published report looks at how the number of individuals who are living longer and in better health as a result of increased access to healthcare, largely through the ACA.
The number of people dying in a given year has decreased in states which have expanded their Medicaid coverage since the enactment of the ACA in 2010, according to one study. The study concluded that an additional 15,600 deaths could have been avoided if Medicaid was expanded nationwide.
The number of people in Michigan — which expanded its Medicaid coverage — staying in hospitals for chronic conditions, such as asthma or diabetes, was cut in half in the first two years after the expansion.
While having more individuals with medical debts as a result of the ACA’s repeal might be an indirect positive byproduct for the credit and collection industry, having more people alive who can pay their bills is also something to be rooting for.