State Uninsured Rates – Lowest to Highest
Having health insurance is vital to our well-being. Not only does it ensure we can get the care we need, but it can also greatly reduce our out-of-pocket medical expenses, our nation’s leading cause of personal bankruptcy.
DISTURBING TREND SHIFT: Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the national uninsured rate dipped to a historic low — from 15.4% in 2009 to 8.5% in 2018. That was a good trend, but the uninsured rate is on the rise again, thanks to Republican sabotage under the Trump administration. With this disturbing shift, WalletHub measured the post-Obamacare uninsured rates in each of the 50 states. They also broke down the national figures to categories such as race and income level, as well as by city. The following data, charts, and video are from those WalletHub reports. The analysis and commentary is mine.
| States with Lowest Uninsured Rates | States with Highest Uninsured Rates |
| 1 Massachusetts (2.77%) | 46 Alaska (12.64%) |
| 2 Vermont (4.03% | 47 Florida (13.00%) |
| 3 Hawaii (4.08%) | 48 Georgia (13.65) |
| 4 Rhode Island (4.08% | 49 Oklahoma (14.20) |
| 5 Minnesota (4.40%) | 50 Texas (17.71%) |
Move your mouse over each state to see it’s health insurance ranking.
Pure Politics
I’m not surprised Massachusetts is ranked #1 since the ACA got its individual mandate from Mitt Romney’s healthcare system, which came from the conservative Heritage Foundation. I’m also not surprised that Texas is ranked 46th in healthcare cost and is dead last in accessibility. Texas refused to accept the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, turning down “an estimated $100 billion in federal cash over a decade” while our hospitals have to absorb $5.5 billion/year treating uninsured people. Texas is also leading the lawsuit fight to declare the ACA unconstitutional, like they intentionally want to deny citizens the care they need.
Medicaid States vs. Non-Medicaid States
In general, states that expanded Medicaid are ranked higher in health insurance access than states that rejected Medicaid expansion. They’re mostly blue states controlled by Democrat governors. The states rejecting Medicaid are mostly controlled by Republican governors, and their health insurance ranking is almost double. ‘Bad mistake, in my view.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Texas has the Highest Uninsured Rate (11/12/2015) This older article also features WalletHub data.
Texas falling behind as other states expand Medicaid (Houston Chronicle) — Whatever happened to fiscal conservatism? Governor Abbott is sending billions of our tax dollars to other states with nothing in return for it but pain for those left uninsured. With healthcare a top issue on voters’ minds, it seems suicidal to overturn the ACA’s protection for people with pre-existing conditions. This was the most popular part, because 130 million Americans are said to have a pre-existing condition already, and we’ll all have one eventually. But Abbot seems determined to lead the charge into a healthcare abyss that could get him replaced.
Texas’ Uninsured Rate for Kids, Highest in the Country, Increased for the First Time in Years (Texas Observer) More than 20 percent of all uninsured kids in the country live in Texas, according to a new report.
The success of Medicaid expansion, explained in 5 charts (VoxCare) A new report out of Ohio, documenting the first five years of expanded Medicaid, gives us a clear picture of the stakes in these debates.
Texas can’t afford ACA attacks (Texas Tribune)