Texas has the Highest Uninsured Rate
The data is in from a WalletHub analysis of 2015’s States with the highest & lowest uninsured rates, and as an Austin resident, I’m again embarrassed to say that Texas has the highest uninsured rate.
Having insurance is vital to the health of your family and your wallet. It can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket medical expenses, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S. Today, however, 11.7 percent of all Americans — many of whom earn a low income — remain without coverage.
For the second year in a row, WalletHub’s analysts drew upon the most reliable data to estimate the rates of uninsured pre- and post-Obamacare for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. For a broad perspective of those rates, they broke the national figures down to the state level and other categories, including age, race and income level. A summary of their findings are included below.
Health Insurance Coverage in Texas:
- The uninsured rate was 23.71% before Obamacare and has fallen to a current rate of 19.06%, with 827,997 persons gaining health insurance coverage.
- Obamacare reduced the children’s uninsured rate by 23.88% between 2010 and 2014.
- Obamacare reduced the adult uninsured rate by 19.27% between 2010 and 2014.
- The rate of employer-based health insurance coverage increased by 6.15% between 2010 and 2014.
- YET, Texas still remains as the State with the Highest uninsured rate, thanks largely to the fact that it refused Medicaid coverage.
- The uninsured rate for higher-income households in Texas is 72.25% lower than that for lower-income households.
- The uninsured rate for whites is 32.85% lower than that for blacks.
- The uninsured rate for whites is 63.92% lower than that for Hispanics.
- The rate of privately insured is 67.91%.
- The rate of publicly insured is 32.09%.
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/rates-of-uninsured-by-state-before-after-obamacare/4800/.
Open Enrollment for 2016
Open enrollment for a 2016 insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace began November 1 for coverage to start as soon as January 1, 2016. If you don’t enroll in a plan by January 31, you can’t enroll in a health insurance plan for 2016 unless you qualify for Special Enrollment Period. There’s no limited enrollment period for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You can apply any time.
To get started or for information, see https://www.healthcare.gov.