skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Second federal judge orders temporary reinstatement of thousands of probationary employees fired by the Trump administration; U.S., Canada political tension could affect Maine summer tourism; Report: Incarceration rates rise in MS, U.S. despite efforts at reform; MI study: HBCU students show better mental health, despite challenges.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration faces legal battles on birthright citizenship; the arrest of a Palestinian activist sparks protests over free speech. Conservationists voice concerns about federal job cuts impacting public lands, and Ohio invests in child wellness initiatives.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

More TX Young Adults, Fewer Hispanics Insured Under ACA

play audio
Play

Thursday, August 25, 2016   

HOUSTON – More young adults in Texas have health insurance, according to a new study by Rice University, which also finds that fewer Hispanics and low-income adults have coverage.

The report says the number of young adults in Texas without health insurance has dropped by 35 percent since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect in 2013.

But the study also shows that a significant number of Texans remain shut out of the health insurance marketplace.

Elena Marks, director of the Episcopal Health Foundation and a co-author of the study, says because Texas has opted to not use federal dollars to expand Medicaid under the ACA, many people are left without options.

"The lowest income groups really don't have an opportunity to buy coverage,” she points out. “So whether they're young or old or black or white or purple, there's just not a lot that the ACA offers other than Medicaid expansion, which the state has turned down."

Marks says the study found more than one-third of young Hispanics and 56 percent of low-income young adults in Texas still do not have health insurance.

She says that despite having the opportunity to enroll through the ACA, one-third of Hispanics in Texas remain uninsured, compared with just 10 percent of the white population.

Marks says the increase in coverage of 18 to 34-year-olds, often called young invincibles, is due to more companies offering insurance to employees, along with rules that allow children up to age 26 to remain on their parents' policies.

She says the participation of young adults in the health insurance marketplace is important to its long-term success.

"The young invincibles, despite people saying they'll never get insured, actually have become increasingly insured,” she points out. “They still lag behind the oldest adults. We're pleased to see that they have made gains. We'd like to see them make greater gains."

The report is part of a series tracking the implementation of the Affordable Care Act by Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to Wisconsin's Judicial Code of Conduct, judges are not required to recuse themselves based on an endorsement or campaign contributions. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Early voting for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race starts next week and, although the seat is technically nonpartisan, both candidates have clear …


Environment

play sound

As the warming climate continues to reshape the environment, its impact on people's health is becoming increasingly evident in Florida. Doctors and …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Maryland is facing a $3 billion budget deficit, and planned cuts in 2026 would include millions in disability assistance. But one advocate says those …


A rally for property tax cuts is set for Monday at the Indiana Statehouse. Organizers have encouraged attendees to wear green to signal their opposition to high property taxes. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Indiana lawmakers introduced a third property tax plan this week, aiming to protect local governments from funding cuts while offering minimal relief …

Social Issues

play sound

Nearly half of Americans age 50 and older are using credit cards to pay for basic living expenses, according to a new AARP survey, and a Minnesota …

Expanded oil and gas subsidies, included in current versions of upcoming federal tax legislation, would support a massive expansion of LNG projects to more than double national export capacity by 2030. (Jeeraphun/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Forty religious leaders from different denominations gathered in Texas this week to call for an end to fossil-fuel subsidies and expansion of related …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that Black students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Blac…

Environment

play sound

The Sierra Club's Utah chapter said electric utility PacifiCorp's long-term plan to embrace renewable energy has changed and is now placing more relia…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021