10 States With Greatest and Least Uninsured Rates | Best States
The Supreme Court is poised to debate the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act –…
The Supreme Court is poised to debate the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act – a law that has helped some 20 million Americans gain health care coverage – in November. If struck down, fluctuations in the rates of uninsured adults across all 50 states are likely to follow. But in a year where the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged societal strata from the working class to the presidency, health insurance is a safety net most can’t afford to do without.
According to a recent WalletHub survey of uninsured rates by state, places in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions perform in the low single digits for percentages of uninsured adults, while states in the South tend to have rates in the double digits. The national average uninsured rate for adults is just over 10%.
The study cites overall uninsurance rates according to 2019 U.S. Census data in order to determine these rankings, as well as providing state data based on race, age and income. In general, Black and Latino residents tended to have higher rates of uninsurance by state. This disparity grew especially stark at the bottom of the list in Texas, where some 28% of Hispanic residents were uninsured, compared to about 10% for whites.
Here are the 10 best states for health coverage:
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Hawaii
- Vermont
- Minnesota
- Iowa
- New York
- Wisconsin
- Pennsylvania
- Michigan
Massachusetts topped the list for best health coverage, with only 3% of adults uninsured. And in 10th place, Michigan had 6% of adults uninsured. Meanwhile, North Carolina’s uninsurance rate for adults was nearly 13%, putting it in 41st place. Texas ranked last in terms of uninsurance rates, with as many as 20% of adults lacking health coverage.
Here are the 10 worst states for health coverage:
50. Texas
49. Oklahoma
48. Georgia
47. Florida
46. Mississippi
45. Wyoming
44. Alaska
43. Nevada
42. Arizona
41. North Carolina
Even in states with higher percentages of uninsured adults, overall uninsurance rates have been dropping since 2010. In Massachusetts, the rate decreased by roughly 1%, suggesting an already high insured rate there 10 years ago. Texas’ overall uninsurance rate dropped by more than 5% since 2010, while the same metric decreased nationally by more than 6%.
