Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Number Of Uninsured Americans Dropped By 7 Million In First 3 Months Of 2015, Federal Report Finds
The New York Times: Number Of Uninsured Has Declined By 15 Million Since 2013, Administration Says
The number of people without health insurance continues to decline and has dropped by 15.8 million, or one-third, since 2013, the Obama administration said Tuesday. The decline occurred as major provisions of the Affordable Care Act took effect. The law expanded coverage through Medicaid and through subsidies for private insurance, starting in 2014. (Pear, 8/12)
USA Today: Federal Report: 7 Million Fewer Americans Uninsured This Year
The number of Americans without health insurance dropped from 36 million last year to 29 million in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest in a string of reports showing uninsured rates are on the decline. The newest report, released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics on Wednesday, contains early estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, which are based on data for 26,121 people from across the nation. The estimate of 29 million, which represents 9.2% of Americans, reflects the portion of respondents who reported being uninsured at the time of the interview. (Ungar, 8/12)
Politico Pro: Uninsured Rate Drops To 9.2 Percent, Survey Finds
The nation’s uninsured rate dropped from 11.5 percent last year to 9.2 percent in the first three months of this year, according to a new government estimate. The number of uninsured people in the United States declined to 29 million in the first three months of this year, a drop of 7 million people from 2014, according to the new figures from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. (Pradhan, 8/12)
Connecticut Mirror: New England Uninsured Rate Less Than Half The National Average
New England continues to have the lowest rate of residents without health insurance in the nation, even as the uninsured rate declined throughout the country, according to estimates based on federal survey data released Wednesday. (Levin Becker, 8/12)
Meanwhile, based on a recent Gallup poll, Kansas may not be keeping pace with other states in terms of expanding health coverage -
The Kansas Health Institute News Service: Change In Kansas' Uninsured Rate Lags Other States
A recent Gallup poll shows that the percentage of uninsured Americans in some states has dropped dramatically since the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). The drops are generally more dramatic in states that have embraced politically controversial portions of the law. In Kansas, which resisted those measures, the reduction in uninsured residents is small and within the poll's margin of error. Seven of the 10 states with the biggest reductions in uninsured rates implemented Medicaid expansion and established a marketplace while two did one or the other, according to Gallup. (Margolies, 8/11)
