How Americans Obtain Health Insurance (If They Have It)

Gallup reports trend lines in its polling of Americans' reported sources of health insurance (or lack of insurance). The percentage of Americans reporting they have employer-based health insurance has declined gradually over the last few years from approximately 49% to 45%. Insurance via government program (e.g., Medicaid, Medicare) has been edging up and now slightly exceeds one-quarter of the population.

The percentage of Americans who report being uninsured has held steady at slightly over 16% from 2009-2011. Some elements of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (health care reform) have already gone into effect. However, as noted in the above-linked Gallup article, the country's persistent economic difficulties have presumably dampened any gains in health-insurance coverage thus far from the 2010 law.

ACA provisions that are most likely to reduce the ranks of the uninsured -- new mechanisms to purchase health insurance (known as "exchanges"), tax credits for many purchasers, and expansion of Medicaid -- don't go into effect until 2014 (implementation timeline).