Dive Brief:
- The 2014 Census showed the percentage of people without health insurance was 10.4%, down from 13.3% in 2013. The number of people without insurance dropped to 33 million from 41.8 million over the same time period.
- This represents the largest percentage point drop in the uninsured and reflects when many ACA provisions went into effect.
- Employment-based insurance covered most people (55.4%), followed by Medicaid (19.5%), Medicare (16%), direct purchase (14.6%) and military healthcare (4.5%).
Dive Insight:
The biggest changes in coverage rates between 2013 and 2014 were the increases in direct-purchase health insurance (increased 3.2%) and Medicaid (increased 2%).
According to the Current Population Survey, the percentage of people with health insurance for all or part of 2014 was 89.6%, higher than the 2013 rate of 86.7%.
The big increase seen last year in the numbers of those with health insurance may be results of several factors, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. "Over time, changes in the rate of health insurance coverage and distribution of coverage types may reflect economic trends, shifts in the demographic composition of the population and policy changes that impact access to healthcare. Several such policy changes occurred in 2014 when many provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act went into effect."