Dive Brief:
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The nation's uninsured rate has dropped to 9%, a low that has never been reached before, according to the latest National Health Interview Survey by the CDC and the Census Bureau.
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The past five years have seen more than 20 million formerly uninsured Americans obtain health coverage as the uninsured rate went from 16% in June 2010 to 9% in June 2015.
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While the decline began in 2010, it took a steep dive beginning in 2013, as Medicaid expansion was established in 26 states.
Dive Insight:
It's easy to frame the rapid spread of insurance coverage as an achievement of the ACA and to herald the downward trend in the uninsured rate, illustrated by the NHIS data updated quarterly.
However, hurdles remain in achieving true healthcare access, as well as healthcare quality, as Forbes noted, particularly due to concerns about “underinsurance.” With high deductible plans soaring in popularity, concerns are emerging about whether healthcare consumers will too often forgo care due to unaffordable out-of-pocket costs--negating much of the point of their insurance.