ACA’s impact on W. Va.’s uninsured rate substantial

“Before the Affordable Care Act, (West Virginia’s) uninsured rate for people 64 to 19 was 29 percent. Today, it is 9 percent.” — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, on MSNBC Feb. 13.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., appeared on MSNBC to discuss the Affordable Care Act’s impact on West Virginia.

He made the following statement: “Before the Affordable Care Act, (West Virginia’s) uninsured rate for people 64 to 19 was 29 percent. Today, it is 9 percent.”

Is that correct? Sanders’ office pointed to one government number to support its point. Another government number we found showed a less dramatic decline, but it doesn’t change the thrust of his overall point.

A government study found that between 2013 and 2015, West Virginia’s uninsured rate for persons between 18 and 64 fell from 28.8 percent to 8.9 percent. That supports Sanders’ point.

Our ruling

Sanders said, “Before the Affordable Care Act, (West Virginia’s) uninsured rate for people 64 to 19 was 29 percent. Today, it is 9 percent.”

Sanders pointed to one federal measurement, though it has methodological problems when drilling down to the statistics for smaller states. A more reliable data set for West Virginia’s case showed a decline from 21 percent to 9 percent. The decline was not as dramatic as he’d indicated, but it was still a significant one.

We rate the statement Mostly True.

Bernie Sanders