Uninsured rate falls below 9 percent for first time

The uninsured rate fell to a new record low of 8.6 percent in the first quarter of the year, according to government data, continuing a steep drop under ObamaCare. 

{mosads}The new survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that the uninsured rate fell from 14.4 percent in 2013, before ObamaCare’s coverage provisions went into effect, to 8.6 percent in January to March of this year. 

The previous record low was 9.1 percent in 2015. 

The Obama administration touted the new data at a time when the health law faces struggles in retaining insurers that are losing money on its marketplaces and growing its enrollment numbers. 

“The law is part of the fabric of our country, and while its success is undeniable, we continue to work to strengthen the Marketplace, reach more families through Medicaid, and reform health care delivery to better meet the needs of consumers,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a statement. “Our country’s march toward improving access, quality, and affordability in health care goes on, and today’s numbers show that the Affordable Care Act is continuing to drive historic progress.”

Larry Levitt, an expert on the health law at the Kaiser Family Foundation, wrote on Twitter:

Glass half empty: The ACA marketplaces face challenges.

Glass half full: Uninsured rate at the lowest point ever. https://t.co/N3bIodFggf

— Larry Levitt (@larry_levitt) September 7, 2016