Census
Income Data
Uninsured

Uninsured rates fall in 2022, latest census data shows

  • File Photo
    File Photo

    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 last week.

    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.

    Fifteen of the 27 states where uninsured rates dropped in 2022 had increases in Medicare coverage; eight had increases in Medicaid coverage; and six had increases in VA 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.

    Texas has the highest uninsured population of any state in the nation, but it, too, saw improvements last year. The 2022 uninsured rate in Texas fell to 16.6%, down from 18% in 2021.

    Of the insured population, most Texans, 51.4% in 2022, had employer-provided health insurance. Medicaid and Medicare comprise the next two largest groups of insured Texans (at 16.2% and 14.9%, respectively), while 12.2% bought their own policies. TRICARE (for currently serving or retired members of the U.S. military) and VA coverage bring up the smallest groups of insured Texans, representing just 3% and 2.3% of the population, respectively.

    Just eight other states have double digit uninsured rates, the census reports. The rest of the United States has single digit uninsured rates, with the lowest of those uninsured rates found in Massachusetts (2.4% in 2022, down from 2.5% in 2021).

    Other double-digit states include Arizona (10.3% in 2022, down from 10.7% in 2021), Mississippi (10.8%, down from 11.9%), Alaska (11%, down from 11.4%), Nevada (11.1%, down from 11.6%), Florida (11.2%, down from 12.1%), Wyoming (11.5%, down from 12.5%), Georgia (11.7%, down from 12.6%) and Oklahoma (11.7%, down from 13.8%).