Bartholomew County's uninsured adult rate cut in half over 14-year span following Obamacare

New U.S. Census Bureau data shows that the number of uninsured adults in Bartholomew County was roughly cut in half as the Affordable Care Act was implemented.

An estimated 5,976 Bartholomew County adults under age 65 lacked health insurance in 2024, or 8.6% of the population, down from 10,396 in 2010, or 16%, according to the new figures, which were released last week.

Similar declines were seen in Jackson and Jennings counties and statewide. In Jackson County, the percentage of uninsured fell from 18.6% in 2010 to 9.2% in 2014 and from 17.4% to 8.7% in Jennings County over the same period.

In Indiana, 9% of adults under 65 were uninsured in 2024, down from 17% in 2010. Nationwide, the percentage of people lacking insurance fell from 17.7% to 9.8% over the same period.

The Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, is a major healthcare reform law enacted in March 2010 during the Obama administration. Its goal was to expand access to affordable health insurance, increase both public and private coverage, and reduce overall healthcare costs. The law was implemented in phases, beginning immediately after it was signed and reaching full implementation of its key provisions on Jan. 1, 2014.

From 2013 to 2015, 3,061 fewer Bartholomew County adults under 65 were uninsured, a nearly five percentage point decline coinciding with the act's full implementation, according to the new data."

Bartholomew County's congressional delegation largely opposed the legislation, according to congressional records. Then-Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., and former Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., voted against it, while former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., voted in favor of it.

The new figures also show differences by gender in Bartholomew County. Men have consistently been more likely to lack insurance than women.

In 2024, 9.2% of men under 65 in Bartholomew County were uninsured, down from 17% in 2010, the data shows. By comparison, the percentage of uninsured women in the county fell from 14.9% to 8% over the same period.

The poorest residents were also more likely to be uninsured than any other group. In 2024, 12.4% of Bartholomew County residents at or below 400% of the federal poverty level did not have insurance, falling from 21.9% in 2010.

The new U.S. Census Bureau data comes as emergency room visits by uninsured patients at Columbus Regional Hospital rose 23% during the first seven months of this year, a jump that hospital officials largely attribute to the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, Medicaid coverage losses and changes in insurance networks.

From Jan. 1 to July 29, CRH recorded 1,826 emergency department visits by uninsured patients, up from 1,481 during the same period last year, according to data provided by the county hospital system. Total emergency room visits were largely flat over the same period.

While CRH typically sees modest year-to-year fluctuations in uninsured emergency room visits, the increase this year is "an abnormal trend," hospital officials said.

The increase comes as states across the country have seen steep drops in the number of people covered by the Affordable Care Act over the past year, The Associated Press recently reported, citing data released by the Trump administration in late June.

The data provided the first snapshot of sharp enrollment declines following the January expiration of enhanced subsidies, which led to around 2.6 million fewer Americans having Obamacare plans in February compared to the same point a year ago, according to wire reports.

At the same time, Indiana's Medicaid enrollment fell by more than 343,000 people, or 18.5%, between June 2025 and June 2026, according to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.

The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported that while some Medicaid enrollees lost coverage because they no longer qualified, state data show many more were removed for procedural reasons, such as failing to return renewal forms or provide requested documentation on time.

Overall, just over 3,700 Bartholomew County residents have dropped off the rolls of Medicaid and Affordable Care Act plans over roughly the past year, according to federal and state records.

If those individuals do not find insurance elsewhere, the number of uninsured residents in the county could be poised to return to roughly 2014 levels, when 13.6% of adults under 65 lacked insurance, according to the new U.S. Census Bureau data.

The U.S. Census Bureau data is current as of 2024 and does not reflect changes to the Affordable Care Act subsidies and Medicaid that have taken effect since then.

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