More Americans lack health coverage today than they did four years ago, according to findings released Tuesday by Gallup. But more young adults are less likely to be uninsured.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index poll of 1,000 adult Americans reveals the uninsured rate was 17 percent or higher in most months in 2011, and climbed to a 17.7 percent monthly average in December. That's a tie with July 2011 for the highest on record.

Gallup began gauging the data in 2008, and since then has seen a steady uptick in the number of uninsured. One positive note is that the number of uninsured Americans age 18 to 25 saw a decline in 2011 to 24.5 percent, from 27.6 percent in 2010 and 28.2 percent in 2009. "Although this group is still among the most likely to be uninsured, it is the only group Gallup tracks that has seen a significant decline in the percentage uninsured in 2011."

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