The pool of uninsured Americans is continually changing, and has decreased as a percentage of the adult population since the beginning of the year. Thus, as some Americans who were previously uninsured move into the insured pool, the uninsured who are left are those who have shown the most reluctance in the short term to get insurance. This helps explain why the percentage of uninsured Americans who say they intend to buy insurance has dropped in the most recent months.

At the same time, overall American attitudes toward the ACA remain negative, which may suggest that some uninsured Americans’ reluctance to get insurance reflects their dislike of the ACA and the law’s requirements. Other uninsured Americans may simply have become more hardened over time in their negative attitudes toward the prospect of getting insurance.

Still, the possibility that more than half of Americans who remain uninsured say they will ultimately purchase health insurance offers some positive news for supporters of Obamacare. It also suggests that the number of uninsured Americans may continue to decline as the March 31 deadline approaches, after which they will have to pay a fine if they don’t have insurance.