Officials: 1 million Illinoisans covered under health law

CHICAGO (AP) - Officials say more than 1 million Illinois residents have health insurance through programs launched by President Barack Obama's health care law.

The number includes more than 388,000 Illinoisans who signed up during the recent marketplace enrollment period and more than 626,000 covered under the Medicaid expansion. It's the first time the figure has topped a million.

Earlier this month, results from a federal survey showed Illinois among eight states with statistically significant coverage gains under the law. The uninsured rate among Illinois adults ages 18-64 fell from 17.8 percent to 10.6 percent between 2013 and 2015.

Illinois Department of Insurance Acting Director Anne Melissa Dowling on Thursday termed the coverage gains "a significant achievement" and called for continued education of consumers about "how to effectively engage with the health system."