Veterans’ Health

By

NYHealth

Funding Area

Veterans’ Health

Date

October 18, 2017

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This NYHealth data brief, based on a report by the RAND Corporation, examines the New York-specific impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—and potential effects of its repeal—on veterans’ health care and insurance coverage.

The ACA has affected veterans’ health insurance coverage and their use of care both within and outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. While the ACA did not directly affect veterans’ eligibility to enroll in or receive VA care, there were important spillover effects of the ACA coverage expansion on veterans.

In New York State, the proportion of non-elderly veterans who were uninsured fell by 45.6% after major ACA coverage expansions took effect. If repeal and replace took effect, the proportion of non-elderly veterans who are uninsured would potentially rise from 4.3% to 11.4%.

Repeal of the ACA would roll back coverage gains for veterans and increase demand upon the VA, and the effects would be felt in New York State and across the nation.