Who is uninsured in America?

Asked by: Alden Tromp  |  Last update: August 30, 2023
Score: 4.7/5 (10 votes)

Most of the 27.5 million people who are uninsured are nonelderly adults, in working families, in families with low incomes and six in ten are people of color. Reflecting geographic variation in income and the availability of public coverage, most uninsured people live in the South or West.

How many US Americans are uninsured?

Roughly 30 million Americans of all ages had no health insurance in 2021. That's roughly 9.2% of the population.

What group has the highest uninsured rate in the US?

Nonelderly AIAN and Hispanic people had the highest uninsured rates at 21.2% and 19.0%, respectively as of 2021. Uninsured rates for nonelderly NHOPI and Black people (10.8 and 10.9%, respectively) also were higher than the rate for their White counterparts (7.2%).

Who has the highest percentage of uninsured?

Texas was the state with the highest percentage of uninsured among its population, while Massachusetts reported the lowest share of uninsured This statistic presents the percentage of the total population in the United States without health insurance in 2021, by state.

How many people are uninsured in the US CDC?

8.4% or 27.6 million Americans of all ages did not have health insurance in 2022 compared to 10.3% or 33.2 million in 2019. In the same time period, 4.2% or 3 million children did not have health insurance compared with 5.1% or 3.7 million in 2019.

The cost of being uninsured in America

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What percent of the US is still uninsured?

The nation's uninsured rate declined significantly in 2021 and early 2022, reaching an all-time low of 8.0 percent for U.S. residents of all ages in the first quarter (January-March) of 2022, based on new data from the National Health Interview Survey, compared to the prior low of 9.0 percent in 2016.

How many americans don t have health insurance 2023?

Plus Over 11 Health Insurance Statistics For Jul 2023! Approximately 30 million people in the United States are uninsured and at risk of financial ruin if they become ill or injured. Even worse, there are approximately 9 million children in the country who lack proper healthcare coverage.

Why are so many US citizens uninsured?

Despite policy efforts to improve the affordability of coverage, many uninsured people cite the high cost of insurance as the main reason they lack coverage. In 2021, 64% of uninsured adults said that they were uninsured because the cost of coverage was too high.

What race is more likely to be uninsured?

Data from the Census Bureau shows that racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage persist even among the most educated. People who identify as American Indian and Alaska Native, non-Hispanic or Hispanic, had the highest uninsured rates at all education levels.

What state has the fewest people with health insurance?

In these states, 10% or more of the population does not have health insurance coverage. The top 5 positions in this ranking were all taken by southern states. Texas led the way, with almost 1 in 5 Texans lacking health insurance coverage, followed by Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi.

Which race is less likely to have health insurance?

The U.S. uninsured rate in 2021 across race and Hispanic origin groups ranged from 5.7% for White, non-Hispanic people to 18.8% for those identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native, non-Hispanic. Hispanic or Latino people had among the highest uninsured rate in the nation at 17.7%.

Why is Texas so uninsured?

The most-cited reasons among uninsured Texans for not having health coverage is related to their employment status and the availability (or unavailability) of insurance through their employer.

How many white Americans are uninsured?

In 2022, the national average was 10.1 percent. White Americans had a below average rate of just 6.5 percent, whereas 10.4 percent of Black Americans had no health insurance.

Where do most people get health insurance?

Private health insurance is the predominant source of health insurance coverage in the United States.

What race has the most life insurance?

There is no official link between the two observances. But the importance of life insurance has long been recognized by Black Americans. Black families have the highest rate of life insurance ownership among all racial groups at 56 percent, compared to 52 percent for the total U.S. adult population.

Which age group is most likely to be uninsured?

In 2019, adults aged 18–44 were the most likely to be uninsured (17.0%), compared with adults aged 45–64 (11.1%) and children under age 18 years (5.1%). Among adults aged 19–25, 17.5% were uninsured in 2019.

Why are Latinos the most uninsured?

Coverage patterns for Latinos reflect more limited access to employer-sponsored coverage among Latino adults, due to higher rates of employment in low-wage jobs that are less likely to offer health coverage, as well as more limited access to and barriers to enrolling in public coverage options.

Are immigrants more likely to be uninsured?

Uninsured Rates by Immigration Status

Among the nonelderly population, one in four (25%) lawfully present immigrants and almost half (46%) of undocumented immigrants were uninsured compared to 8% of citizens (Figure 3). Noncitizen children are also more likely to lack coverage compared to their citizen counterparts.

Can you live without health insurance in the US?

If you don't have health insurance, you're at much greater risk of accumulating medical bills that you may not be able to pay. In a worst-case scenario, you could be sued and have your wages garnished. You might even be forced into bankruptcy.

Do all US citizens need health insurance?

Health insurance is not mandatory at the federal level. Some states may impose a tax penalty if you do not have health insurance, but the federal government no longer does that. This changed at the start of 2019.

What is a consequence of not having health insurance?

Without health insurance, finding affordable and appropriate care can be challenging. Uninsured individuals are less likely to have access to necessary medical care and often delay treatment due to cost concerns. This may lead to worsening health outcomes and even life-threatening situations.

Why is healthcare so expensive?

There are many factors that contribute to the high cost of healthcare in the country. These include wasteful systems, rising drug costs, medical professional salaries, profit-driven healthcare centers, the type of medical practices, and health-related pricing.

How many Americans are on Medicare?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the latest enrollment figures for Medicare on January 5th. As of March 2023, 65,748,297 people are enrolled in Medicare, an increase of almost 100,000 since the last report in September. Of those: 33,948,778 are enrolled in Original Medicare.

What type of insurance is mandatory in most states?

Liability insurance: Almost all states require a minimum amount of liability insurance. This coverage helps pay for any injuries or damages you cause in a car accident, including those of the other driver and their passengers.