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JAMA
News From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In 2014, after implementation of the Health Insurance Marketplaces and Medicaid expansion created through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 36 million people in the United States—11.5% of the population—were uninsured, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.
About two-thirds of the US population (63.6%) younger than 65 years had private health insurance last year, including 2.2% covered by plans purchased through health insurance exchanges. The largest drop in uninsured adults occurred among 19- to 25-year-olds, from 26.5% in 2013 to 20% in 2014. This group also had the biggest increase in public coverage, rising to 19.1% in 2014 from 16.1% in 2013.
The 2014 insurance coverage estimates are based on data from the National Health Interview Survey, which includes interviews with more than 100 000 people (http://1.usa.gov/1BJoofA). Among people 65 years or younger, uninsured rates decreased significantly in every age category. In 2014, 16.3% of adults lacked insurance compared with 20.4% in 2013.
States that expanded their Medicaid coverage under the ACA had fewer uninsured residents than states without Medicaid expansions. In the expansion states, 13.3% were uninsured in 2014 compared with 18.4% in 2013. In nonexpansion states, 19.6% were uninsured in 2014 compared with 22.7% in 2013.