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Statement by Secretary Burwell on the Uninsured Rate

PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
 Statement by Secretary Burwell on the Uninsured Rate

 HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell issued the following statement on news that the national uninsured rate dropped to a new low in the first official data reflecting the Marketplace’s 2016 open enrollment season:

“Under the Affordable Care Act, our nation’s uninsured rate dropped in the first quarter of the year to 8.6 percent – the lowest level on record. Because of the law, 20 million more Americans had quality, affordable coverage as of early 2016. And it is helping to bend the cost curve, contributing to the slowest growth in the price of health care in 50 years and reducing health expenditures by billions.

 

“The numbers are compelling, but they only tell part of the story. Every American is now free from the fear of being denied coverage due to a health condition. Every American has seen lifetime and annual limits eliminated, so coverage is there when it’s needed most. Coverage includes free preventive services. And people across the country now have the opportunity to shop for health insurance on an open, transparent marketplace for the very first time.

“The law is part of the fabric of our country, and while its success is undeniable, we continue to work to strengthen the Marketplace, reach more families through Medicaid, and reform health care delivery to better meet the needs of consumers.  Our country’s march toward improving access, quality, and affordability in health care goes on, and today’s numbers show that the Affordable Care Act is continuing to drive historic progress.”

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