OREANDA-NEWS. September 22, 2015. Nearly 9 million more people secured health insurance coverage in 2014, according to new Census Bureau data, a significant increase despite the fact that poverty rate stayed nearly unchanged at 14.8 percent, or 47 million people in the U.S.

The new federal data shows the country is making progress toward one of the two most important issues in health care — increasing access to care.  At the same time, this progress underscores the urgency of addressing an equally vital issue: making quality health care more affordable.

“The U.S. has come a long way in improving access to health insurance, which is great, but we know that affordability is top of mind for most people,” said Dr. Charles D. Kennedy, chief population health officer for Healthagen, an Aetna company. “That’s why we are so focused on working with doctors and hospitals to help deliver care with lower costs and better outcomes. If the country can make as much progress on this front as we have on increasing access to health care, we can expect to improve the health of the our country as a whole.”

Kennedy notes that Aetna’s approach to analyzing health data and working more closely with health care providers through Accountable Care Organizations is creating tangible proof that coordinated care can offer patients better outcomes at lower overall costs.

Poverty and health
According to the new Census data, nearly nine in 10 people in the U.S. have health insurance, yet more than one in seven lives in poverty. The connection between poverty and health makes these numbers particularly stark, notes Dr. Garth Graham, head of the Aetna Foundation. “Chronic disease like heart disease and diabetes occur more frequently in impoverished communities. Without access to affordable quality care, people with these conditions in poor communities don’t have as many options as their neighbors in higher income areas.” This can lead to expensive and exhausting health issues for communities lacking the right resources. How expensive and exhausting? Health disparities cost the United States more than \\$309 billion per year and lead to tens of thousands of untimely deaths every year.

“While the statistics may seem overwhelming, we can all contribute to curbing these trends and closing the health divide,” Graham said. “If we can build health equity, and give every person the chance to be their healthiest regardless of their income or other factors, we can lower these costs while also saving up to 84,000 lives per year.”

Graham believes non-profits, corporations, and communities all have a role to play right alongside individuals and their families. “It all starts with empowering people, community by community, to take an active role in their personal health so they can enjoy the quality of life and longevity they deserve.”