Gallup finds dramatic drop in uninsured

The rate of people without health insurance dropped 3.5 percentage points last year, its lowest level in the seven years for which Gallup data is available. 

{mosads}The Gallup survey finds that the rate of people without health insurance fell from 17.3 percent in 2013 to 13.8 percent at the end of 2014.

The drop was the steepest in states that both expanded Medicaid under ObamaCare and set up their own insurance marketplaces under the law. The rate fell an average of 4.8 percentage points in states taking both of those measures, compared to 2.7 percentage points in states doing one or neither. 

Arkansas had the largest drop in its uninsured rate, down 11 points to around 11 percent. Kentucky, Oregon and Washington state followed in experiencing big drops.

Because the data only run through the end of 2014, the survey does not include the latest enrollment numbers for the insurance exchanges.

The administration announced this month that 11.4 million people had signed up for private insurance under ObamaCare. On Monday, it added that more than 10 million more people have enrolled in Medicaid since the law’s expansion began in 2013.   

The law’s expansion in coverage comes as it faces a threat from the Supreme Court. The King v. Burwell case, set for arguments on March 4, could lead to millions of people losing subsidies that help them buy insurance. 

The administration is using the numbers to argue that ObamaCare is already ingrained in everyday life and should not be rolled back. 

“These numbers affirm the fact that the Affordable Care Act is working and is truly an important part of the everyday lives of millions of Americans,” Vikki Wachino, acting director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, said in a statement announcing the Medicaid growth on Monday. 

Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell made the argument more explicitly in touting the 11.4 million sign-ups last week. 

“One thing is for sure, Americans don’t want the progress we’ve made to be taken away from them,” she said.