The government says that for the fourth year in a row fewer Americans are struggling to pay medical bills.

Data released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that most of the progress has come among low-income people and those with government coverage.

The number of people in households that faced problems paying medical bills decreased by 12 million from the first half of 2011 through the first six months of this year.

Most of the improvement happened in the last two years, coinciding with the big coverage expansion under President Barack Obama's health care law.

The results are from a major ongoing sample called the National Health Interview Survey. The numbers are for people under age 65, since virtually all seniors are covered by Medicare.

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