Uninsured rate at highest level since 2014

The percentage of Americans without health insurance has reached its highest point since 2014, when ObamaCare was still in its early years of implementation. 

The uninsured rate was 13.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, well above the record-low rate of 10.9 seen in 2016, the last year of President Obama’s second term, according to a survey released by Gallup Wednesday.

That represents about 7 million people losing or dropping insurance between 2016 and 2018, Gallup said. 

The uninsured rate has risen steadily since President Trump took office, Gallup notes. 

Gallup says ObamaCare’s premium increases in recent years could contribute to a higher uninsured rate. 

The administration’s funding cuts to ObamaCare’s marketing and outreach budget could also have effected uninsured rates, Gallup said.

Other factors include a shorter enrollment period and confusion caused by the GOP’s efforts to repeal and replace the law in 2017, the survey states.

The data released Wednesday indicates that the gains created under ObamaCare could be reversing. 

Before the implementation of the health care law, the uninsured rate was 18 percent. 

It steadily dropped since 2014, before hitting an all-time low in 2016. 

The largest coverage losses in recent years have been among women, young adults and those with low incomes, according to the survey. 

Those younger than 35 reported an uninsured rate of more than 21 percent, a 5 percent increase from 2016. 

The rate of uninsured women increased from 8.9 percent in late 2016 to 12.8 percent in 2018.