The percentage of people without health insurance rose slightly during the second quarter of 2017 as Obamacare faces uncertainty and the cost of coverage soared for enrollees who don’t qualify for federal subsidies.
The uninsured rate rose to 11.7 percent in the second quarter of 2017, up from 11.3 percent in the first quarter, according to Gallup and Sharecare. The uninsured rate has been measured by the group since 2008, and it had reached a record low of 10.9 percent during the third and fourth quarters of 2016.
Several factors may be contributing to the increase, according to the poll’s authors. People who do not receive subsidies under Obamacare that help them pay for health insurance may be opting out of coverage because premiums last year grew by an average of 22 percent. Last year, several insurers left exchanges in various states, leading to fewer plan options and limited providers to choose from.
Obamacare also faces uncertainty, the authors note, as Republicans in Congress seek to repeal and replace portions of it, and people may be uncertain about whether they will face penalties under the law if they do not have coverage. President Trump signed an executive order early in his presidency that permitted government agencies to waive or delay provisions that “impose a fiscal burden” on people.
The results are based on interviews with 45,087 U.S. adults aged 18 and older from April 1 to June 30, conducted as part of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index.
The uninsurance rates are highest among adults between the ages of 26 and 34, at 20.4 percent, according to the findings. Young adults are able to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26, and those who are just past that age are likely more sensitive to price changes, the authors note.
“For some young adults, the tax penalty for not carrying health coverage may be more financially appealing than paying costly premiums on coverage they need less frequently than older Americans,” authors wrote.
Still, this group saw the highest percentage point drop overall.
Despite the overall increase, the uninsured rate is still lower than before Obamacare’s major coverage provisions went into effect. In 2013, right before Medicaid expansion in some states to low-income people and before the federal government provided tax subsidies to help people buy private coverage through the exchanges, the rate of uninsured was 18 percent.
Uninsurance rates are projected to rise even higher under the GOP healthcare plan, to 22 million more people by 2026 than under current law.
