WalletHub: R.I. 4th among states that will suffer if ACA is repealed

WALLETHUB found that R.I. ranks fourth among states that stand to suffer if the ACA is repealed. / COURTESY OF WALLETHUB
WALLETHUB found that R.I. ranks fourth among states that stand to suffer if the ACA is repealed. / COURTESY OF WALLETHUB

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is among the top five states that stand to suffer if the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, is repealed. That’s according to data released Wednesday by personal finance website WalletHub.

WalletHub says Rhode Island is ranked fourth among states that will be most affected by the dismantling of President Barack Obama’s signature health care legislation, popularly known as Obamacare. President Donald Trump has pledged to eviscerate the ACA.

The states that are most likely to be affected the most overall are, in order, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Oregon.

Rhode Island ranks second among states that will likely see the highest growth in uncompensated care costs in 2021 if the ACA is repealed. The Ocean State ranks sixth for potential jobs lost due to repeal of tax credits and Medicaid expansion in 2019, and it ranks seventh for potential economic impact due to repeal of premium tax credits and Medicaid expansion (2019-2023).

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WalletHub’s website says reversal of the law is “expected to raise the uninsured rate by an estimated 18 million” individuals in the first year following a repeal, with an estimated 32 million uninsured by 2026.

WalletHub says its analysts compared the states across “seven key indicators of both economic and coverage losses” to assess the impact of a repeal. Analysts also consulted with a panel of experts in health, health care reform and health insurance for additional insight.

WalletHub says the states that will be least affected overall are Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama and Arizona, in order.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported in December that 68,000 Rhode Islanders have gained health insurance coverage since the ACA was enacted in 2010.

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