Uninsured Rate Dropping Faster in States Embracing Obamacare Provisions
States that have implemented core functions of the Affordable Care Act have seen a faster decline in the rate of uninsured residents compared to those that haven't done so, according to a new Gallup poll. In states that implemented a Medicaid expansion and a state marketplace, the rate of uninsured dropped 2.5 percent since 2013, down to 13.6 percent from 16.1. Meanwhile, in states that did not apply the measures, the rate of uninsured people dropped 0.8 percent, hitting 17.9 percent, down from 18.7. 21 states and the District of Columbia have implemented both Medicaid expansion and a state health insurance marketplace. 29 states, including Texas, Florida and Mississippi have applied one or neither of the Affordable Care Act's central mechanisms. The nationwide rate of uninsured, meanwhile, has dropped to 15.6 percent, its lowest level since 2008. The rate of uninsured peaked at 18.0 percent before the health exchanges opened in the third quarter of 2013.