The uninsured rate among adults in America sat at 13.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.
The rate is the highest uninsured rate since the first quarter of 2014. While the rate is lower than the 18 percent high documented before the ACA's individual mandate went into effect, it's still above the low point of 10.9 percent recorded in 2016.
The 2.8-point increase since the 2016 low represents about 7 million more adults that are uninsured today than were in 2016, according to the index.
"A number of factors have likely played a role in the steady increase in the uninsured rate over the past two years. One may be an increase in the rates of insurance premiums in many states for some of the more popular ACA insurance plans in 2018 [although most states saw premiums stabilize for 2019]," according to Gallup. "Other factors could be a result of policy decisions. The open enrollment periods since 2018 have been characterized by a significant reduction in public marketing and shortened enrollment periods of under seven weeks, about half of previous periods."
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