The national uninsured rate in the U.S. reached an all-time low of 8% in early 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This reflects 5.2 million people gaining coverage since 2020.
The HHS report, which analyzes data from the National Health Interview Survey and American Community Survey, shows the impact of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to increase health care access and lower costs for America's families through the American Rescue Plan's enhanced Marketplace subsidies, the continuous enrolment provision in Medicaid, several recent state Medicaid expansions, and substantial enrolment outreach by the Administration in 2021 and 2022.
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"Our new report shows that the uninsured rate in the country reached an all-time low this year – welcome news and proof that our efforts to protect and expand on the Affordable Care Act are paying off," says HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. "As we move forward, the Department of Health and Human Services will continue to do everything we can to protect, expand, and strengthen the programs that provide the quality, affordable health care Americans rely on and deserve."
The report also notes that approximately 5.2 million people – including 4.1 million adults ages 18-64 and one million children ages 0-17 – have gained health coverage since 2020. Uninsured rates among adults ages 18-64 declined from 14.5% in late 2020 to 11.8% in early 2022. The uninsured rate among children ages 0-17, which had increased during 2019 and 2020, fell from 6.4% in late 2020 to 3.7% in early 2022.
At the state level, 18 states saw uninsured rates for adults ages 18-64 decrease over this period, with decreases ranging from -0.1 percentage points to -8.4 percentage points. Fifteen of the 18 states experiencing declining uninsured rates have expanded Medicaid. Uninsured rates declined in all five states that expanded Medicaid in 2019-2020, with decreases ranging from -1.4 percentage points (Utah) to -8.4 percentage points (Idaho).
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