Health Insurance Coverage Increased in Over Half of U.S. States in 2022
Twenty-seven states had a higher percentage of people with health insurance coverage in 2022 than in 2021, according to American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. In terms of uninsured rates, or the rate of people without health insurance, Maine was the only state where the uninsured rate increased (up to 6.6% in 2022, from 5.7%).
?The changes in uninsured rates are impacted by multiple factors including the demographic makeup of a population and the economy. In 2022, we saw the uninsured rate decrease with the driving force differing by state,? said David Waddington, chief of the Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division at the Census Bureau. ?For seven of the states with lower uninsured rates in 2022, the difference was driven by increased private coverage. For 10 states, the uninsured rate decrease was related to increased public coverage. In three particular states ? Missouri, New York, and Virginia ? the decline in the uninsured rate was a result of increases in public coverage that outweighed decreases in private coverage.?
State-level uninsured rates ranged from 2.4% (Massachusetts) to 16.6% (Texas) in 2022. The District of Columbia was among the lowest with an uninsured rate of 2.9%, not statistically different from Massachusetts.?
Find additional data highlights in our news release.?
 New on America Counts
Uninsured Rates Decreased in Over Half of U.S. States in 2022
The share of people without health insurance coverage decreased in 27 states between 2021 and 2022, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today.?
In 25 states where the uninsured rate decreased, at least one of the many types of public or private insurance changed significantly. Only Utah and North Dakota had decreases in the uninsured rate without significant changes in the types of coverage.
Types of health insurance coverage include:
- Public coverage offered through Medicare, which provides coverage to most people aged 65 and older or with certain disabilities; Medicaid, which provides coverage to those with low incomes or a disability; or through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which provides coverage to eligible veterans.
- Private coverage, which may be provided through an individual?s or family member?s employer; the marketplace exchange or a broker (direct purchase); or TRICARE for current or retired members of the military and their family members.
Two new visualization tools depict health insurance coverage rates and types by state based on the 2022 American Community Survey 1-year estimates.?Users can compare estimates within and across geographic areas to see the types of coverage and percentage of people without insurance in their state. Continue reading...
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