Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nation's Uninsured Rate Hits Its Lowest Level Since 2008
The Hill: Uninsured Rate Hits Lowest Level To Date, Boosting ObamaCare
The uninsured rate has dropped to its lowest level since Gallup began tracking the statistic in 2008. A total of 11.4 percent of people remained uninsured in the second quarter of this year, between April and June, according to a Gallup poll released Friday. (Ferris, 7/10)
CNBC: Health Uninsured Rate Falls, Yet Again, Under Obamacare
What goes down apparently goes down even more. The sharp plunge in the number of Americans lacking health coverage has continued, reaching a seven-year low, as Obamacare exchanges and Medicaid enroll more people. (Mangan, 7/10)
Business Insider: One Chart Shows Obamacare Is Working Exactly As Intended
The rate of uninsured people in the US is at its lowest level ever recorded by Gallup, continuing a theme that first appeared amid the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The uninsured rate among adults 18 and older in the US plunged to 11.4% in the second quarter of 2015, down from the 11.9% Gallup recorded in this year's first quarter. "The 2015 second-quarter uninsured rate is the lowest rate measured since Gallup and Healthways began tracking the metric at the start of 2008, raising the question of how low the rate can go," Gallup's Stephanie Kafka wrote. It is Gallup's first estimate of the uninsured rate since a special enrollment period that allowed people who hadn't yet filed a tax return to sign up for coverage through April 30. Gallup said the uninsured rate plummeted to 11.3% in March before staggering in April, May, and June. Ultimately, the simplest goal of the law — one that cuts through the spin of the sign-up numbers — is to reduce the number of uninsured in the US. (Logiurato, 7/10)
