Millions Of Uninsured Texans Eligible For Subsidized Health Insurance: Study

AUSTIN, Texas — With the Affordable Care Act sign-up period still about two weeks away, a recent study suggests millions of uninsured Texans may be eligible for free or subsidized coverage.

“We wanted to take a comprehensive look at the problem of the uninsured in Texas,” said Charles Miller, senior policy advisor for Texas 2036.

According to the nonprofit Texas 2036, about 5 million Texans (16%) are uninsured, the highest percentage of any state.

Texas 2036 recently conducted extensive surveys and focus groups to learn more about the reasons for these numbers.

“The main reason people didn’t buy insurance was because the insurance was too expensive,” Miller said. “Even when we looked at some basic cross-tabulations of the data we had, we realized that it didn’t match what we think is reality.”

Finally, they found a lack of awareness around availability and compliance.

The study found that approximately 55 to 70 percent of the uninsured population is estimated to be eligible for some type of program, be it a subsidized ACA program, Medicaid or CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program).

They found that an estimated 30% were eligible for a free plan under the Affordable Care Act.

“Availability of plans has improved dramatically in recent years,” Miller said. “And so people who were trying to enroll three or four years ago now have cheaper plan options because of increased subsidies at both the federal and state levels.”

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Other notable findings from the study include the possibility of expanding Medicaid, something other states have already done. Research has shown that expanding Medicaid alone could help solve the problem, but many uninsured Texans have middle-class incomes.

In addition, there have been possible layoffs in recent years.

“Most uninsured people say the lack of insurance is related to employment,” Miller said. “I think they say you can only get insurance through your employer, but there is an individual market.”

Open enrollment ends January 16th.

“Help is available,” Miller said. “There are navigators who will help you register. There are community groups to help you sign up. And there may be other intermediaries that can provide a better check-in experience.”

Click here to read the full Texas 2036 report.

More than 5.4 million Texans are uninsured, according to the report.