Uninsured Rate Down Five Percentage Points Following ACA Open Enrollment
<p>At the close of the Affordable Care Act’s first open enrollment period, an estimated 9.5 million fewer U.S. adults were without health insurance, according to a new <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2014/jul/gaining-ground-americans-health-insurance-coverage-and-access">Commonwealth Fund survey</a>—the first study to examine coverage trends as well as how people have used their new insurance.</p><p>The national uninsured rate for working age-adults dropped from 20 percent in the July–September 2013 period to 15 percent by April–June 2014. Most people with new coverage, either a marketplace plan or Medicaid, said they were optimistic that it would improve their ability to get health care. In fact, a majority of those who had used their new plan to get care or fill a prescription said they would not have been able to do so before.</p>
<p>The largest gains in coverage were experienced by young adults ages 19 to 34, Latinos, and low-income adults. For the poorest Americans, uninsured rates dropped significantly in the 25 states that, along with the District of Columbia, have expanded eligibility for Medicaid. In states that have chosen not to expand Medicaid, uninsured rates for this group are largely unchanged.</p>
<p>Read our <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2014/jul/gaining-ground-americans-health-insurance-coverage-and-access">issue brief,</a> view our two infographics, and use our <a href="/acaTrackingSurvey/index.html">interactive feature</a> to get complete survey results.</p>