Texas had the nation’s highest uninsured rate in 2021, with 18% compared to the national average of 8.6%, according to the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS).
Data released last week showed that nearly 12% of children and a quarter of adults aged 19-64 (24.3%) in Texas were uninsured in 2021. The survey examined health insurance coverage across private (employer-sponsored, direct-purchase, and TRICARE) and public (Medicare, Medicaid, CHAMPVA, and VACARE) plans in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The report showed that federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency measures over the past 2 years led to an increase in public coverage in the 36 states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA. There was stark contrast in uninsured rates between those expansion states (6.6%) and the 14 non-expansion states (12.7%).