Although recent census data indicate that Obamacare has significantly reduced the number of uninsured Americans, the highest percentage of families with no health care coverage are those with annual incomes below $25,000. Arline Geronimus says it is not surprising that those already in poverty struggle to cover their medical expenses. “Low-wage workplaces typically do not offer health insurance,” she says. And not only are the poor in worse health than the nonpoor, but “the same co-pays or deductibles would be a larger share of their income.”

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