Once Again, Texas Has the Worst Uninsured Rate for Kids and Adults
New U.S. Census data show that out of all 50 states, Texas is the place where folks have the hardest time getting the health insurance they need to consistently go to check-ups, ask for help with mental health challenges, have a healthy pregnancy, catch cancer before it spreads, or seek help if they think they have COVID-19.
As you may have seen in the Houston Chronicle, the new numbers show that last year Texas had by far the worst uninsured rate in the nation at 18.4%, followed by Oklahoma at 14.3%. The Texas numbers got worse last year, rising from 17.7% in 2018.
And the data show that Texas had the highest children's uninsured rate in the nation at 12.7%, considerably worse than the second highest state — Wyoming with 10.6%. Like the numbers for adults, the Texas numbers for children also got worse in 2019 compared to the 11.2% rate in 2018.
Believe it or not, the picture is actually worse than these numbers suggest. The new Census data don't even include the estimated 659,000 Texans who became uninsured during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we previously reported, Texas has very high uninsured rates among EVERY racial/ethnic group in the state, but the state also has significant racial disparities when it comes to health coverage.
That means expanding access to health coverage in Texas would directly help Texans of all backgrounds while also addressing urgent racial inequities.
The high Texas uninsured rate is a direct result of state policy decisions — and there are several steps the Legislature and other state leaders can take to reduce the uninsured rate:
Stop the state cuts that are currently under consideration for staff positions that enroll Texans in Medicaid for Pregnant Women, Children's Medicaid, CHIP, and other programs.
Improve outreach to families regarding children's health insurance options.
Allow children to maintain their Medicaid insurance for 12 continuous months rather than conducting error-prone mid-year eligibility reviews that mistakenly remove eligible children from health coverage.
Extend Medicaid insurance for new moms so that it ends 12 months after childbirth rather than 2 months.
Implement Medicaid expansion to cover 2.2 million uninsured Texans, including essential workers like child care educators, grocery store clerks, and other adults who typically have no insurance options in Texas if they are below the poverty line.
Will you join with us in pushing state leaders to expand health coverage?
Thanks for working with us to ensure more Texans have the insurance they need to stay healthy!