Double Jeopardy: Low Wage Workers at Risk for Health and Financial Implications of COVID-19

Issue Brief

1. This analysis limits “workers” to people who earned at least $1,000 during the past year and worked at least 20 hours in a typical week when working.

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2. KFF analysis of 2018 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates.

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3. KFF analysis of 2018 National Health Interview Survey.

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4. KFF analysis of 2019 Current Population Survey.

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5. Ibid.

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6. Notably, eligibility for marketplace subsidies (but not Medicaid) includes the new federal supplemental unemployment insurance benefits recently enacted by Congress for people affected by COVID-19. This supplemental benefit could lead some unemployed low-wage workers who previously were in the “coverage gap” (income below poverty but above state Medicaid limits) to have income above poverty, making them newly eligible for Marketplace subsidies.

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7. KFF analysis of 2018 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates.

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8. KFF analysis of 2018 National Health Interview Survey.

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9. Ibid.

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10. KFF analysis of 2018 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates.

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11. KFF analysis of 2018 National Health Interview Survey.

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12. All data in this paragraph based on KFF analysis of 2018 National health Interview Survey.

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