Even after the rocky rollout and delays, national surveys and enrollment data show that as the initial enrollment period closes, at least 9.5 million people who were previously uninsured have gained health care coverage.
The Los Angeles Times originally reported the numbers, which include:
- At least 6 million people have signed up for health coverage on the new marketplaces, about one-third of whom were previously uninsured.
- At least 4.5 million previously uninsured adults have signed up for state Medicaid programs, according to nonprofit Rand Corp.’s unpublished survey data, which were shared with The Times.
- An additional 3 million young adults have gained coverage in recent years through a provision of the law that enables dependent children to remain on their parents’ health plans until they turn 26, according to national health insurance surveys from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- About 9 million people have bought health plans directly from insurers, instead of using the marketplaces. The vast majority of these people were previously insured.
- Fewer than a million people who had health plans in 2013 are now uninsured because their plans were canceled for not meeting new standards set by the law, the Rand survey indicates.
Overall, it is estimated the uninsured rate for those in the 18 to 64 age group has dropped from 20.9 percent to 16.6 percent.
