In the rapidly changing health coverage landscape, getting an accurate snapshot of what’s happening to uninsured rates is a bit like trying to get a good photo of your new puppy sitting and smiling for the camera.  Today, we got one of the most rigorous  and timely snapshots that we can possibly get from a trusted federal data source, and it corroborates what we learned last week from the Urban Institute’s Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS).

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) released today by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that the uninsured rate for adults fell from 20.4 percent in 2013 to 18.4 percent in the first quarter of 2014, a period when major provisions of the Affordable Care Act first took effect. Because of the way the survey is conducted it is likely reflecting the state of play in mid-February — so likely further progress has occurred since the survey was conducted.

The CDC report highlighted a particularly bright spot for young adults as those between the ages of 19 and 25 saw their uninsured rate decline from 26.5 percent in 2013 to 20.9 percent in the first quarter of 2014.  It also contained excellent news for states that moved forward with their Medicaid expansions as their adult uninsured rate dropped from 18.4 percent in 2013 to 15.7 percent in the first quarter of 2014. “There was no corresponding significant decrease in the percentage of uninsured in those states that had not moved forward with Medicaid expansion”, according to today’s CDC report.

Just as we reported with the Urban Institute last week, the overall uninsured rate for children remained steady.  As we said, the national snapshot does not capture all of the fluctuations in children’s coverage that may be occurring in particular states.  The CDC study provided a glimpse into one factor that could be slowing states down from reducing uninsured rates for children.  In states expanding Medicaid, 5.7 percent of children were uninsured compared to 7.7 percent of children in states not expanding Medicaid.

The changing landscape of coverage will come into sharper focus over time.  These early snapshots provide policymakers with important glimpses into how the Affordable Care Act is affecting uninsured children and families.