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 The study by the Commonwealth Fund, a healthcare research
foundation, showed that about 11 percent of adults in the most
populous U.S. state were uninsured as of last month, down from 22
percent in the summer of 2013.
California was the first state to pass legislation to set up its own
marketplace allowing consumers and small businesses to purchase
highly regulated coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and the
state has also expanded its Medicaid program, providing insurance to
more low-income residents.
Nationwide, the report showed, an estimated 9.5 million fewer adults
between the ages of 19 and 64 were uninsured at the end of the
period than at the beginning, bringing the total U.S. rate of
uninsured to 15 percent from 20 percent.
Among poor adults, the rates of uninsured remained highest in states
that did not expand eligibility for Medicaid, the federal low-income
healthcare program, the report showed.
The highest rates of uninsurance were in Florida and Texas, both
states that chose not to expand Medicaid eligibility under the
Affordable Care Act.
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(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Eric Walsh)
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