MassBudget: Today's Census release shows results of health care commitments

Affordable Care Act has made a difference across US

Today's Census Release Shows Results of Public Commitments to Health Care New MassBudget factsheet summarizes results New data released by the US Census today show the results of commitments made by our state and the nation to improving the health care security of our people. Massachusetts, which enacted comprehensive health reform in 2006, continued to lead the nation in the share of our population covered by health insurance. The Census report also shows that in the years since the Affordable Care Act took effect the share of people insured has increased substantially in states across the country. Today's Census report reflects data from 2016 and shows 97.5 percent of the Massachusetts population insured - and 99 percent of our children. It also shows that health insurance coverage has increased in every state in the country since 2013. As a new brief from MassBudget explains, health coverage increased most dramatically in those states that have taken advantage of the option to expand their Medicaid programs with additional funding provided by the Affordable Care Act. Our report "Documenting Success: Health Reform in Massachusetts and the Nation" also examines how the rate of uninsured in Massachusetts has steadily fallen over this decade. The Census also recently released the newest data on how the 50 states compare on state and local taxes. The data show that the share of state and local taxes in Massachusetts remains very close to the national average, though these taxes have fallen more since the 1970s than in almost any other state in the nation. Read our updated fact sheets, "Massachusetts is About Average for Taxes in FY 2015" and "Where Does the Taxachusetts Label Come From?" The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today