Uninsured rate in Mass. reaches historic low

Under 3 percent of Massachusetts residents were uninsured in 2015, the lowest proportion ever, according to The Boston Globe.

Data released last week from the U.S. Census Bureau show just 2.8 percent of Massachusetts residents were uninsured last year. Massachusetts, which served as a model for President Barack Obama's signature health reform law, maintains its standing as the state with the smallest proportion of uninsured residents, according to the report.

The state enacted its own law to expand accessibility to healthcare coverage to nearly all of its residents years before the Affordable Care Act was implemented in 2010. Its uninsured rate in 2010 had already declined to 4.4 percent. The rate has continued to fall as a result of several factors, Noah Berger, president of Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, told The Boston Globe.

One reason is the state's thriving economy and the lowest unemployment rate in 15 years. More employed people means more employer-sponsored health plans, according to Mr. Berger. Other possible reasons include higher enrollment in Medicaid or subsidized health insurance, and the expansion of MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program. Enrollment in MassHealth increased from 1.4 million in 2013 to 1.8 million in 2015, according to the report.

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