A new report highlights that recent funding cuts to the Affordable Care Act are likely to worsen existing health disparities in Ohio and across the United States.
Key findings:
- Health disparities between racial and ethnic groups persist in the U.S. health care system.
- Ohio ranked 10th-worst for health system performance for Black people.
- The expiration of enhanced marketplace credits is expected to worsen health disparities.
- Nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding cuts were part of the Republican One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
- The Congressional Budget Office projects that 10 million people will be newly uninsured by 2034 due to the 2025 bill.
According to a Commonwealth Fund report, “Racial disparities are among the most persistent and well documented in the U.S. health care system.” This statement underscores the urgency of addressing these issues.
As of early Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders emphasized, “As a result of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ 15 million Americans have been thrown off the healthcare that they need.” This alarming statistic indicates significant potential harm to vulnerable populations.
The situation is compounded by a projected decrease of 1 million in ACA plan enrollment from 2025 to 2026. Currently, there are about 23.1 million consumers enrolled in ACA plans for 2026.
Joseph Betancourt, a health equity expert, stated, “We know you cannot fix what you cannot measure.” This highlights the importance of tracking these disparities as policies evolve.
No timeline has been shared regarding potential legislative responses. However, experts continue to call for immediate action to ensure equitable access to health care for all communities.
