The US healthcare insurance landscape is a patchwork of coverage that has come from many different laws passed over the decades. In this comprehensive downloadable article, SmartTRAK will discuss what percentage of the population is covered by different plan types, the impact that the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will have on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace and Medicaid, the future number of uninsured patients, and its impact on the wound care industry.
US Insurance Coverage – A Patchwork: According to the US Census Bureau Population Survey, 92% of the US population had some type of health insurance in 2024 (the latest year available). Employment-based health plans covered ...(read more)
The Impact of OBBBA and the Rise of the Uninsured: Before the ACA was signed into law in 2010, the US had been seeing a steady increase in the rate of those without health insurance. At its peak ...(read more)
The Beginning of the Death Spiral: The death spiral of health insurance is a concept that occurs when rates increase in the insurance pool and healthier participants are driven out, thereby further increasing costs. In March, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2026 public use files and a summary report on the costs of the ACA. The report shows the average unsubsidized premium costs per individual increased by ... (read more)
Public Plans – Medicare and Medicaid: Medicare enrollment is age-dependent and is not directly impacted by the ACA or the OBBBA. Despite some initial noise about trying to rein in the rampant growth of those enrolling in Medicare Advantage, no substantial changes were made, and in 2025, 54% of Medicare participants were enrolled in... (read more)
The Future of the Uninsured: The cost of healthcare in the US is on an unsustainable course for many reasons that are too numerous to cover in this article, but research by the KFF team can be found here... (read more)
Impact on Wound Care: The growing ranks of uninsured could have a significant impact on wound care in the US. Some wound technologies, especially newer ones, depend heavily on Medicare today for various reasons. First, many non-healing wounds occur in... (read more)
As the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) takes effect and costs continue to climb, the ranks of the uninsured are growing — and the ripple effects across the industry could be seismic. Click the button below to download the full article to help prepare yourself for what's to come.