Nearly nine out of ten Americans now have health insurance, marking a sharp improvement after the Affordable Care Act took effect at the beginning of 2014, according to a survey by Gallup and Healthways.
The uninsured rate among U.S. adults has declined one percentage point from the fourth quarter of 2014 to 11.9 percent in the first quarter of 2015, and is the lowest since Gallup and Healthways began tracking it in 2008.
According to the poll, the uninsured rate is down 5.2 percentage points from 17.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013, just before the Affordable Care Act went into effect. The Affordable Care Act, which requires most Americans to carry health insurance, took effect at the beginning of 2014.
The percentage of uninsured Americans climbed from the 14 percent range in early 2008 to above 17 percent in 2011, and peaked at 18 percent in the third quarter of 2013. However, the uninsured rate has dropped sharply since the Affordable Care Act took effect.
According to the Gallup report, an improving U.S. economy and a falling unemployment rate may also have accelerated the steep drop in the percentage of uninsured over the past year. But as the uninsured rate is significantly lower than it was in early 2008, prior to the depths of the economic recession, the recent decline may not be just due to an improving economy.
These results are based on more than 43,500 interviews conducted from January 2 to March 31, 2015, as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
According to the survey, while the uninsured rate has declined across all key demographic groups since the healthcare law fully took effect, it has dropped most among lower-income Americans and Hispanics - the groups seen as most likely to lack insurance.
The uninsured rate among Americans earning less than $36,000 in annual household income dropped 8.7 points since the end of 2013 to 22 percent in the first quarter of 2015, while the uninsured rate among Hispanics fell 8.3 points to 30.4 percent.
However, 22 percent of lower-income Americans, 13.6 percent of Blacks and 30.4 percent of Hispanics still do not have insurance coverage, according to the survey.
Americans aged 26 to 34 years have seen the largest drop in the uninsured rate among any age group, with the uninsured rate among this group down 7.4 points since the end of 2013 to 20.8 percent.
The uninsured rate among Americans in the age group of 18 to 64 years dropped to 14.5 percent in the first quarter of 2015 from 20.8 percent at the end of 2013, with most of the decrease reflecting Americans gaining coverage through self-funded plans, Medicaid and Medicare.
The uninsured rate among Americans aged above 65 years declined 0.2 points from the fourth quarter of 2013 to 1.8 percent. Most of the people aged 65 years and older are covered through Medicare.
According to the Gallup report, the uninsured rate could fall further in the months ahead as the Obama administration has established a special enrollment period from March 15 through April 30, 2015.
The special enrollment is aimed at signing up those who realize, while paying their taxes, that they must pay a fine for not obtaining healthcare coverage in 2014.
In addition, the extended enrollment periods by some states such as Minnesota, Washington and Vermont could further drive down the uninsured rate through May, when plans purchased in April go into effect, the report noted.
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