Whether due to employee benefits or enrollment through the federal- and state-based exchanges, the nation's uninsured rate recently hit a near 10-year low, according to the results of a recent survey.
Approximately 15.3 percent of Americans are uninsured, polling firm Gallup revealed. That's the lowest rate of individuals without health insurance since 2008, when it bottomed out at 14.4 percent. The overall 1.5 percent drop from the fourth quarter of 2013 was observed in the first three-month period of 2014.
Gallup methodologist Jenna Levy noted that the Affordable Care Act, at least on the surface, is doing what President Barack Obama and supporters of the health law intended.
"After hitting an all-time high of 18.0 percent in the third quarter … 'ObamaCare,' appears to be accomplishing its goal of increasing the percentage of Americans with health insurance coverage," said Levy.
Though President Obama announced that more than 7 million people now had insurance thanks to the health reform law, opponents of the 2010 law aren't convinced. Critics say the numbers announced don't take into account how many people lost health insurance due to the ACA, nor the number of individuals who were formerly uninsured. Additionally, there are questions about how many people have paid for their first month's premium, especially among new enrollees.
There's also some dispute about how many young people have been able to stay on their parents' plans, as the ACA enables adults to use them until the age of 26. While the White House has stated 3.1 million young adults are now covered thanks to this provision, the National Center for Public Policy Research says the figure is closer to 2.8 million.
