ARKANSAS (KFSM) – The Natural State showed the sharpest reduction in uninsured rates in the nation, according to a report from Gallup.
A total of 22.5 percent of Arkansas adult residents were uninsured in 2013, and that number dropped to 11.4 percent in 2014, when the Affordable Healthcare Act made it a requirement to have health insurance or face a fine, the report from Gallup states. The difference between uninsured rates for Arkansas adult residents in 2013 and 2014 is 11.1 percent.
The Gallup report also notes that states implementing both a Medicaid expansion and state exchange/partnership for health insurance saw the greatest improvement in reduction of uninsured rates.
Overall, Massachusetts has the lowest uninsured rate in the nation (4.6 percent), and Texas has the highest uninsured rate (24.4 percent), the report states.
To see the full Gallup report, click here.
