What a difference support for health coverage makes

Enrollments in public and private health insurance are growing, as shown in rapidly changing data.

One thing is constant: it really matters what state you live in.

As I mentioned recently, Connecticut has done very well in enrolling its citizens in insurance plans purchased through its marketplace. The Nutmeg State has already hit its 2014 enrollment target.

But Connecticut can also be viewed as part of a group of states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington — that run their own insurance marketplaces and have expanded Medicaid.

These states’ political leaders and state workers have enthusiastically promoted these programs to their citizens, a necessary step because many do not understand some key elements of the ACA, like the financial aid some can get for purchasing insurance.

This snapshot of current data (through January 4, 2014), compiled by Harvard’s Professor Theda Skocpol, tells the tale:

aca_chart

 

As Skocpol notes:

My analysis reveals that major progress is already happening in fourteen Full-Go states, where officials are expanding Medicaid and running their own exchanges. Enrollments are happening more slowly in states where leaders accept all or part of reform but rely on the federal website and were hindered by its start-up woes. Across the board, enrollments are minimal in states where authorities refuse to expand Medicaid or encourage exchange enrollments.

Maine readers, please note that Maine is a “Just Say No” state.

Amy Fried

About Amy Fried

Amy Fried loves Maine's sense of community and the wonderful mix of culture and outdoor recreation. She loves politics in three ways: as an analytical political scientist, a devoted political junkie and a citizen who believes politics matters for people's lives. Fried is Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. Her views do not reflect those of her employer or any group to which she belongs.