The country's uninsured rate has dipped among blacks and lower-income Americans, and now sits at its lowest level since 2008, according to Gallup numbers released Monday.
Gallup reported that the percentage of Americans without health insurance dropped to 15.6 percent, a drop of 1.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2013.
Gallup researchers said the drop in uninsured rate corresponds with the deadline to enroll in coverage or face a penalty under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
The slow, but continued, decline of the uninsured rate indicates "that enrollment through the health care exchanges increased as the March 31 deadline approached," researchers said.
Last week, the Obama administration announced that 7.1 million people had signed up for a plan under PPACA following the March 31 open enrollment deadline.
Gallup said as PPACA continues its implementation — and rolling deadlines — the uninsured rate could drop even more.