As of January 2014, individuals in the United States are required to carry health insurance coverage as a mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or they may be subject to a financial penalty.  The Center for Mississippi Health Policy has developed an Issue Brief that describes coverage options for the uninsured in Mississippi and examines alternative coverage models being tested in other states that, like Mississippi, are not opting to expand Medicaid as authorized under the ACA.

MISSISSIPPI’S UNINSURED ADULTS: A CLOSER LOOK

The following figure illustrates the distribution of uninsured adults 19 – 64 years of age in Mississippi by Federal Poverty Level (FPL).  In many cases coverage options are contingent on income levels as noted in the diagram.

The Issue Brief discusses the impact that employment may have on an individual’s coverage options and provides examples of three states that are exploring alternative avenues for reducing the number of uninsured low-income citizens without opting in to the Medicaid Expansion authorized under the ACA.  Copies of the Issue Brief can be downloaded HERE. Printed copies of the issue brief are available by contacting the Center for Mississippi Health Policy at 601-709-2133 or by e-mail at info@mshealthpolicy.com.