Health costs threaten to overshadow Biden’s historic coverage gains

AXIOS May 14, 2024
Caitlin Owens

President Biden has come closer than any of his Democratic predecessors to reaching the party’s long-standing goal of universal health coverage, but unaffordable care costs may overshadow the achievement.

Why it matters: Having health insurance by itself doesn’t guarantee that care will be affordable, and voters feeling the pain of inflation are more concerned about their own health costs than whether everyone will have some level of coverage.

The big picture: The uninsured rate hit a record low of 7.7% briefly last year, though it’s likely to tick up again as states continue to pare their Medicaid rolls after the pandemic.

• Voters’ most common health care priority by far is lowering out-of-pocket costs, KFF polling from earlier this year...

Today's Sponsors

Today's Sponsor