New data show that fewer than 1 in 10 Americans lacked health insurance in 2015, a sign that the uninsured rate has declined again.
A federal survey found that the uninsured rate was 9.1 percent, down from 11.5 percent in 2014. About 28.6 million people were uninsured last year, down by more than 7 million from 2014, according to the National Health Interview Survey released Monday.
The Obama administration was quick to point to the Affordable Care Act’s coverage provisions as a contributing factor.
“Today’s report is further proof that our country has made undeniable and historic strides thanks to the Affordable Care Act,” said Sylvia Mathews Burwell, secretary of Health and Human Services, in a statement.
Burwell added that 2015 was “the first year in our nation’s history that fewer than 1 in 10 Americans lacked health insurance.”
The survey of more than 100,000 people found that the “greatest decreases in the uninsured rate since 2013 were among adults who were poor or near poor,” according to a summary from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So far, 31 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid, contributing to the decline.
