Rate of uninsured drops to 16.6 percent in Florida

The rate of Floridians without health insurance dropped to 16.6 percent this past year.

Figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that represents a drop of 3.4 percentage points from a rate of 20 percent in 2013.

Despite the drop, Florida still had the third-highest rate of residents without health insurance. Only Texas and Alaska had higher rates.

The national rate was 10.4 percent.

Officials attribute the decrease in Florida and across the country to passage of the Affordable Care Act, which expanded health insurance to millions of Americans.

The act gave states the option of expanding Medicaid. Some did so, and others like Florida chose not to do so.

Census officials say states that expanded Medicaid had bigger decreases in the uninsured rates than those that didn’t.

Republished with permission of The Associated Press.