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Income rose and poverty declined in 2019, as would be expected in the peak year of a decade-long economic recovery, but the number of Americans without health insurance increased for the third consecutive year despite a growing economy.
According to the data, there were 29.6 million Americans without health insurance in 2019 – up from 28.6 million. This likely reflects the continued Trump Administration actions that have reduced access to health insurance coverage.
The health coverage data come from the Census’ American Community Survey, which was conducted before the pandemic hit. The income and poverty data, however, come from the Current Population Survey, and their reliability is compromised because Census chiefly surveyed households for the CPS in March, as the pandemic was hitting.
Whatever the data show, however, bears little resemblance to conditions today, as the pandemic and recession have fundamentally altered the economic landscape. Households’ circumstances differ sharply now from this reflected in the 2019 data.
As of late August, more than 22 million adults were in households that lacked sufficient food and millions of renters had fallen behind on rent. And with millions of workers having lost their jobs – and therefore their employer-based health insurance – the ranks of the uninsured will likely increase.
These hardships underscore the critical need for the nation’s leaders to work out an agreement on strong new COVID-19 relief measures before Congress adjourns later this month.
Without such measures, poverty and hardship will likely worsen further in the months ahead.
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