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Gallup: Uninsured rate continues to fall since Obamacare rollout

New Gallup poll results suggest the Affordable Care Act is responsible for declining percentage of uninsured.

By JC Sevcik
US President Barack Obama (R) participates in a town hall event on affordable health insurance, with moderator Jose Diaz Balart (C) and television host Enrique Acevedo (L), at the Newseum in Washington DC, March 6, 2014. Obama discussed how the Affordable Care Act, also known as 'Obamacare', affects Latinos. Today's Gallup poll showed Hispanics to be America's least insured demographic. (UPI/Michael Reynolds/Pool)
US President Barack Obama (R) participates in a town hall event on affordable health insurance, with moderator Jose Diaz Balart (C) and television host Enrique Acevedo (L), at the Newseum in Washington DC, March 6, 2014. Obama discussed how the Affordable Care Act, also known as 'Obamacare', affects Latinos. Today's Gallup poll showed Hispanics to be America's least insured demographic. (UPI/Michael Reynolds/Pool) | License Photo

SEATTLE, March 10 (UPI) -- Today Gallup released the results of a survey conducted as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, along with a report on the data, which shows the U.S. uninsured rate is at its lowest since 2008.

2013 saw the uninsured rate hit an all-time high of 18 percent in its third quarter, but that percentage has been steadily falling since, down to 16.2 percent in January and 15.6 percent in February.

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Based on a telephone survey of 28,396 adults, Gallup found the uninsured rate declined most among lower-income and black Americans. Uninsured members of households making less than $36,000 annually dropped 2.8 points to 27.9 percent since the fourth quarter of 2013, while the percentage of uninsured blacks dropped 2.6 points to 18.3 percent. Hispanics have the highest rate of uninsured at 37.9 percent.

Gallup found that the uninsured rate dropped for every demographic except Americans over 65, which can likely be accounted for by their prior enrollment in Medicare.

While the Obama administration has made the enrollment of young adults a priority “as healthcare experts say 40 percent of new enrollees must be young and healthy for the Affordable Care Act to be successful,” the report “highlighted no significant changes in young adults’ enrollment” since December.

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The report also found fewer Americans are getting primary coverage through their employer, instead covered by plans paid for fully by themselves or a family member.

Gallup regards the decline in uninsured rates as a likely result of the Affordable Care Act and predicts a further drop in uninsured as the end of open enrollment for Obamacare comes on March 31.

[Gallup]

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