According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the national uninsured rate hit an all-time low of 8% in early 2022, with 5.2 million people covered since 2020 Report Posted on Tuesday.
The report analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey and the American Community Survey.
“Our new report shows that the country’s uninsured rate reached an all-time low this year—good news that our efforts to protect and expand the Affordable Care Act are paying off,” said the Department of Health and Human Services. Minister Xavier Becerra Press Releases“As we move forward, HHS will continue to do everything we can to protect, expand, and strengthen programs that provide the quality, affordable health care that Americans depend on and deserve.”
The uninsured rate fell significantly in 2021 and early 2022, reaching 8% in the January-March first quarter. The previous record was 9 percent in 2016, the report said.
Of the 5.2 million people who have been insured since 2020, 4.1 million adults ages 18 to 63 are insured, and 1 million children ages 0 to 17 are insured. The increase was mainly due to increased market subsidies and the extension of the 2021 enrollment period under the U.S. rescue package, the report said.
In addition, there are several state Medicaid expansions. When looking at state-specific analysis of low-income adults from 2018 to 2020, uninsured rates fell in 18 states, and 15 of those states expanded Medicaid. Of the five states that expanded Medicaid from 2019 to 2020, uninsured rates declined in all of those states. From 2018 to 2020, Idaho saw the largest decline, at 8.4%. Data beyond 2020 has not been released.
The uninsured rate for 18- to 64-year-olds fell from 14.5% at the end of 2020 to 11.8% at the beginning of 2022. For the 0-17 age group, the uninsured rate fell from 6.4% at the end of 2020 to 3.7% at the beginning of 2022.
Adults covered by the market rose from 4.4% in 2020 to 5.4% in early 2022, representing approximately 2 million adults.
The largest changes in the uninsured rate occurred among the poorest population groups. Among individuals 100% below the federal poverty line, the uninsured rate rose from 20% in the first quarter of 2021 to 15.5% in the first quarter of 2022. For those between 100% and 200% of the federal poverty line, the uninsured rate ranged from 16.6% to 16%. Among those between 200% and 400% of the federal poverty line, the rate rose from 11.7% to 9.7%. The smallest decline was for those above 400 percent of the federal poverty line, from 4.2 percent to 3.7 percent.
“I hope that through congressional action, we can continue our efforts to reduce costs for more Americans by expanding the Enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credit, which helps reduce the uninsured rate to an all-time low and increases the availability of prescription drugs. Affordability for Medicare beneficiaries — reducing their cost-sharing and allowing Medicare to negotiate better deals on prescription drug prices,” Becerra said.
Photo: Yin Yang, Getty Images
