Health Insurance Coverage and Income Inequality in the United States

Findings from the American Community Survey, 2010 to 2023

Bibliographic Data

ID13775985
AuthorsR Molina-Salazar (Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana), Raúl Enrique Molina-Salazar (0000-0001-5917-8514, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico), Carolina Carbajal-De-Nova (0000-0002-6135-4094, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume63
Pages469580251405999-469580251405999
Publication date2026-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueINQUIRY The Journal of Health Care Organization Provision and Financing (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0046-9580 • E-ISSN: 1945-7243
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00469580251405999
PMID41823211
OpenAlexW7135190220
LanguageEN
References cited26

The findings underscore the structural link between economic conditions and health insurance coverage. They suggest the need for targeted policies that could raise household income, such as job creation and wage growth to ensure equitable health insurance coverage and ultimately improve the health of Americans. Current policies appear to heavily burden the Federal government with subsidies to programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and Veterans Affairs programs. Future research could study the specific responses of each of these programs to income inequality and real income variations. This finer analysis could better guide the distribution of government funds and policies. A further line of inquiry could consider a regional analysis to address geographical dimensions and the issue of ecological fallacy, although this is beyond the scope of this note

Distribution (mathematics · Economic inequality · Government (linguistics · Health equity · Health insurance · Income distribution · Inequality · Scope (computer science · Subsidy · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Healthcare Policy and Management · Healthcare Systems and Reforms

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access