The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the number of uninsured people increased to 50.7 million in 2009 from the 46.3 million reported in 2008. Other significant changes include:
- The number of people with health insurance decreased from 255.1 million in 2008 to 253.6 million in 2009. A decrease in the insured population has not been recorded since 1987.
- The number of people covered by government health insurance increased to 93.2 million in 2009, up from 87.4 million in 2008.
- The percentage of people covered by private health insurance decreased from 66.7 percent in 2008 to 63.9 percent in 2009.
- The percentage of people covered by employer-based health insurance decreased from 58.5 percent in 2008 to 55.8 percent in 2009. This is the lowest percentage of people covered by employer-based health insurance since 1987.
- Changes in the uninsured rate of children under the age of 18 were not statistically significant and remained stable at 7.5 million (10.0 percent).
Regional insurance data:
- The Northeast had the lowest rate of uninsurance in 2009 with 12.4 percent, up from 11.6 percent in 2008 (6.3 million to 6.8 million).
- The South had the highest number of uninsured with 19.7 percent, up from 18.2 percent in 2008 (20.2 million to 22.1 million).
- The Midwest’s uninsured numbers increased from 11.6 percent in 2008 to 13.3 percent in 2009 (7.6 million to 8.8 million).
- The West’s uninsured population increased from 17.4 percent in 2008 to 18.3 percent in 2009 (12.3 million to 13.0 million).
State coverage data (comparing 2006/2007 two-year averages to 2007/2008 averages):
- Texas had the highest rate of uninsurance at 25.6 percent, up from 24.8 percent.
- Massachusetts had the lowest rate of uninsurance at 5.0 percent, down from 7.9 percent.
- California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Dakota saw statistically significant increases in the rates of uninsurance.
- Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Virginia had statistically significant decreases in their rates of uninsurance.
The previous year’s CPS data were collected in March 2008, before the full effect of the economic recession set in. Last year, St@teside reported that many experts expected figures in the 2009 survey to be much worse, and that expectation appears to have been accurate.
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