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Two pieces of good news this week: the national uninsurance rate has gone down for the first time in 5 years and health insurance premium growth has slowed substantially this year.
Census: Uninsured Numbers Decline As More Young Adults Gain Coverage
Surprising some experts and giving President Barack Obama a potential boost eight weeks before Election Day, the number of people without health insurance fell for the first time since 2007, the Census Bureau said Wednesday.
The closely-watched census report found that 48.6 million Americans were uninsured during all of 2011, compared to 49.9 million in 2010. The rate of uninsured dropped to 15.7 percent from 16.3 percent, the biggest percentage drop since 1999.
The good news on the uninsured comes a day after a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that employer health costs rose by a modest 4 percent this year. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)
The biggest drop in the uninsured was among people aged 19 to 25, for whom the rate fell from 29.8 percent in 2010 to 27.7 percent in 2011. It was the second consecutive year that that age group saw at least a 2 percent decline in its uninsured rate.
Health experts credit a provision in the federal health law which took effect in September 2010, which allows families to keep adult children on their health plans until age 26. The Obama administration said about 3 million people have gained coverage from this provision.
Less participation in the work force. Is the primary mover.......
Claiming a drop after forced increases is not what anyone with a sound mind call Impressive. Rates are still up as a result of this legislation. No amount of knob polishing will change that.