Uninsured rate on the decline, according to government data
The uninsured rate dipped from 8.4% last year compared to 9.2% in 2021, but there were disparities linked to ethnicity.
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Data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) shows that the uninsured rate in the U.S. is on the decline, with about 27.6 million people of all ages (8.4%) uninsured last year – down from the 30 million (9.2%) people who were uninsured in 2021.
Adults aged 18-64 were the most likely to be uninsured (12.2%). Twenty-two percent of that age group had public coverage while 67.8% had private insurance, making it the most likely age group to have public coverage. At 95.2%,adults over 64 were the most likely to have public coverage.
Among children from 0-17, 4.2% were uninsured, 43.7% had public coverage and 54.3% had private health insurance.
Among non-HIspanic white adults 18-64, the percentage of uninsured decreased from 10.5% in 2019 to 7.4% in 2022. At the same time, the percentage of people under 65 with exchange-based health coverage increased from 3.7% to 4.3% during that window.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
Drilling down further into race data reveals some discrepancies between ethnic groups. For instance, Hispanic adults were more likely to lack insurance (27.6%), followed by non-Hispanic Black adults (13.3%). That's substantially higher than the 7.1% and 7.4% uninsured rate for non-Hispanic Asians and non-Hispanic whites, respectively.
Among white adults aged 18–64, the percentage who were uninsured decreased from 8.7% in 2021 to 7.4% in 2022. For Hispanic and Black adults, the decrease was not statistically significant. Asian adults actually saw a slight uptick in their uninsured rate, from 6.3% in 2021 to 7.1% in 2022.
The data also showed that insured rates tend to be lower in Medicaid expansion states. In 2022, among adults aged 18–64, those living in Medicaid expansion states were more likely to have public coverage (24.2%) than those living in non-Medicaid expansion states (17.0%). And they were less likely to be uninsured (9.1%) than their counterparts in non-Medicaid expansion states (19.2%).
Meanwhile, among adults in that age group in non-Medicaid expansion states, the percentage with public coverage increased from 15.1% in 2019 to 17.0% in 2022.
Also last year, 4.3% of people under age 65 had exchange-based coverage, with females (4.6%) more likely to have it than males (3.9%).
THE LARGER TREND
A recent survey commissioned by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida found that of all of the factors that determine whether a person chooses to obtain health insurance, the single biggest factor is cost. Almost 70% of those surveyed believe they can't afford health insurance, or think it's simply too expensive.
Sixty five percent of those surveyed believe it would cost $50-$500 per month for insurance, while only 11% thought they could pay $10 or less. In reality, four out of five people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act marketplace are able to find a plan for $10 or less per month after financial assistance. According to the survey, more than nine out of 10 people enrolled in marketplace plans get financial assistance.
Health and Human services data published in January revealed slightly different numbers, with the uninsured rate for people under age 65 falling from 11.1% in 2019 to 10.5% in 2021. Gains in coverage were largest in several states with recent Medicaid expansions, including Maine (-3.2 percentage points) and Idaho (-2.1 percentage points).
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: Jeff.Lagasse@himssmedia.com
