Uninsured Rates Dropped in Early 2014 as Affordable Coverage Options Expanded
The number of uninsured Americans fell in early 2014, according to the first federal survey estimates provided since the Affordable Care Act’s major insurance expansions went into effect. In a <a href="/blog/2014/new-federal-surveys-show-declines-number-uninsured-americans-early-2014">new blog post,</a> The Commonwealth Fund’s Sara Collins explains that while these early surveys provide only a limited picture of the law’s effects on coverage this year, they echo similar findings from several recent private surveys conducted by The Commonwealth Fund, Gallup, RAND, and the Urban Institute. As a group, these studies confirm that the law is reducing the number of Americans without health insurance.<br /><br />
The National Health Interview Survey, which provides the most current estimates as well as the longest trend data of the three surveys released today, found that the number of uninsured people under age 65 fell from 44.3 million in 2013 to 40.7 million over the first three months of 2014. Among adults ages 18–64, uninsured rates fell from 20.4 percent to 18.4 percent, meaning about 3.8 million fewer adults lacked coverage.<br />
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Collins says that coverage gains for young adults, African Americans, Latinos, and low- and moderate-income adults have been especially notable. At the same time, most states with above-average uninsured rates are the ones that have yet to expand eligibility for Medicaid.<br />
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