Dive Brief:
- A new study has found that the percentage of Americans who don't have health insurance has fallen to 15.6%, down from 17.1% in the fourth quarter of 2013.
- The study, known as the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, was based on more than 28,000 interviews conducted from early January through the end of February.
- This year so far, the uninsured rate has fallen for almost every major demographic group, researchers found. Those earning less than $36,000 annually saw the biggest drop, from 30.7% In the fourth quarter of 2013 to 27.9% in the latest research.
Dive Insight:
While there are always confounding factors that make it difficult to judge cause-and-effect in studies like these, it seems fairly likely that most if not all of the progress insuring Americans comes from the ACA. While the law hasn't done much for the middle class, it has greatly broadened access to care for poor patients, and is likely to continue to do so further before the open enrollment period ends. Expect to see those uninsured numbers drop further by the end of March.