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#ACAWorks: Uninsured Rate Down to Lowest in History of Gallup Survey

May 5, 2014
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GALLUP: UNINSURED RATE AT LOWEST LEVEL IN HISTORY OF SURVEY

Gallup: "Uninsured Rate for U.S. Adults in April was 13.4%": "The uninsured rate for U.S. adults in April was 13.4%, down from 15.0% in March. This is the lowest monthly uninsured rate recorded since Gallup and Healthways began tracking it in January 2008." [Gallup, 5/5/14]

Gallup: "The Downward Trend in the Uninsured Rate Coincides with the Health Insurance Marketplace Exchanges Opening in October 2013":  "The uninsured rate peaked at 18.0% in the third quarter of 2013, but has consistently declined since then. This downward trend in the uninsured rate coincided with the health insurance marketplace exchanges opening in October 2013, and accelerated as the March 31 deadline to purchase health insurance coverage approached -- and passed -- for most uninsured Americans." [Gallup, 5/5/14]

MORE YOUNG AMERICANS COVERED UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Gallup: Increasing Percent of Young Americans Are Becoming Insured Under Obamacare: "Young Americans were an important target in public outreach efforts for enrollment because they can potentially subsidize the cost of insurance for those who are older and presumably less healthy. The uninsured rate among 18- to 25-year-olds fell 4.5 points, to 19.0%, from the fourth quarter of 2013." [Gallup, 5/5/14]

UNINSURED RATE LOWER "ACROSS NEARLY EVERY KEY DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP"

Gallup: Uninsured Rate Drops Dramatically Among Black Americans, Moreso Than Any Other Demographic: "The uninsured rate was lower in April than in the fourth quarter of 2013 across nearly every key demographic group. The rate dropped more among blacks than any other demographic group, falling 7.1 percentage points to 13.8%." [Gallup, 5/5/14]

Gallup: Uninsured Rate of Hispanics & Lower-Income Americans Fell by 5.5 Points Since the End of 2013: "Hispanics were expected to disproportionately benefit from the Affordable Care Act -- commonly referred to as "Obamacare" -- because they are the subgroup with the highest uninsured rate. Although the percentage of uninsured Hispanics, at 33.2%, is down 5.5 points since the end of 2013, this rate is still the highest by far across key demographic groups.  Similarly, the uninsured rate among lower-income Americans -- those with an annual household income of less than $36,000 -- has also dropped by 5.5 points, to 25.2%, since the fourth quarter of 2013." [Gallup, 5/5/14]

GALLUP: UNINSURED RATE DECLINED THANKS TO THE AFFORDABE CARE ACT

Gallup: Uninsured Rate Drop "Reflects the Surge in Late Health Insurance Sign-Ups": "The uninsured rate was 2.2 points lower in April than in the first quarter of 2014, reflecting the surge in late health insurance sign-ups to meet the official March 31 deadline. This figure represents the average percentage of adults without health insurance since provisions established under the Affordable Care Act requiring Americans to have insurance went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year." [Gallup, 5/5/14]

Gallup: Uninsured Rate Fell More in "States that Have Elected to Expand Medicaid": "Several factors may determine whether the uninsured rate declines, ticks up, or levels off in the coming months. Factors that may push the uninsured rate down include more states choosing to expand Medicaid and more Americans electing to buy insurance as penalty amounts increase. Gallup research shows that the uninsured rate, on average, has dropped more in states that have elected to expand Medicaid and run their own healthcare exchanges than in states that have not." [Gallup, 5/5/14]

LEADING ECONOMIST AGREES: THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IS TO THANK FOR UNINSURED RATE DECREASE

MIT Economist Jonathan Gruber: "I Think It Is Impossible to Look at This and Conclude that the Uninsured Rate Isn't Declining in the U.S." "The evidence is mounting," says Jonathan Gruber, economist at MIT and one of the health law's architects. "What is nice about these results is that the Gallup poll is somewhat noisy, but this large and consistent decline is beyond any of the noise shown in earlier years. I think it is impossible to look at this and conclude that the uninsured rate isn't declining in the U.S. It's hard to say by how much, but the direction is clear." [The New Republic, 5/5/14]