Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/674833
BY TIFFANY PARNELL Despite ACA Coverage Expansion WHEN THE HE ALTH INSUR ANCE MARKE TPL ACE L AUNCHED IN 2014, MILLIONS OF PRE VIOUSLY UNINSURED AMERICANS GAINED COVER AGE. BUT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACA DOES NOT APPE AR TO HAVE DECRE A SED THE PUBLIC'S RELIANCE ON FREE AND CHARITABLE CARE. U.S. CENSUS BURE AU data reveal that the number of people enrolled in health insurance rose from 86.7 percent in 2013 to 89.6 percent in 2014, presumably due largely to the launch of the Health Insurance Marketplace and the expansion of Medicaid in certain states. Despite the more than 11 million people who have recently enrolled in health insurance, however, gaps in coverage persist. By 2024, roughly 31 million non-elderly Americans are expected to remain uninsured, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget O˜ ce and the Joint Committee on Taxation. "[The ACA] is a fi rst step in providing health care for some Americans, but not for all Americans," says Nicole Lamoureux, Chief Executive O˜ cer of the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC). "One of the largest misconceptions that many have is that everyone in America now has access to health care and everyone is covered. There is nothing farther from the truth." THE ROLE OF FREE AND CHARITABLE CLINICS The NAFC defi nes free and charitable clinics as "safety-net healthcare organizations that utilize a volunteer/sta– model to provide a range of medical, dental, pharmacy, vision and/ or behavioral health services to economically disadvantaged individua ls." An estimated 1,200 such clinics across the United States provide care to 2 million people, according to AmeriCares, a nonprofi t organization that provides resources for free and charitable clinics and delivers other forms of medical aid globally. Since the implementation of the ACA, several free and chari- table clinics have closed their doors, but they are the exception. While 20 percent of the clinics associated with the NAFC have seen a decrease in volume since the ACA rollout, 80 percent have not. In fact, NAFC-a˜ liated clinics experienced a 40 percent increase in patient demand in 2015, while donations decreased by 20 percent, according to Lamoureux. Need for Charitable Care Remains High 3 4