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February 12, 2014 at 12:29 PM
The number of uninsured Americans has hit a five-year low — but don’t go thanking the president just yet.
That’s the word from Gallup, which reported Wednesday that 16 percent of adults are uninsured, down from 17.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013.
“While more than a month remains in the first quarter, these preliminary data show the uninsured rate appears to be on track to drop to the lowest quarterly level measured since 2008,” Gallup researchers reported.
Though the rate dropped significantly, researchers said it’s too soon to say the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the cause.
“The uninsured rate also dropped to the low-16 percent range in late 2012 before rising again in 2013, suggesting that there may be inherent variability in the rate or random fluctuation due to sampling error,” Gallup reported. “Still, if the uninsured rate continues to fall over the next several months, it may suggest that [PPACA’s] requirement for most Americans to have health insurance, which took effect on Jan. 1, is responsible for the decline.”
Perhaps more significantly, Gallup found that the uninsured rate for 26- to 34-year-olds is falling faster than any other group. The rate for uninsured young adults is at 25.7 so far, down from 30.2 last quarter. Despite the improvement, the age group is still the largest segment of uninsured.
