June 13, 2017
Low-income people who gain health insurance are much more likely to make their rent and mortgage payments, according to a new Washington University study of families living near the poverty line. Lead researcher Emily Gallagher, with the Center for Social Development (CSD), says “the spin-off benefits to the community may offset a substantial share of the cost of the subsidy program. Not only do the banks and landlords benefit, but the entire community gains through lower rates of homelessness and abandoned property.” The study is one of the first to show the effect of the Affordable Care Act on family finances and the first to show the financial impact of the Marketplace component of the program.