Census Report Shows TX Has Worst Uninsured Rate for Kids and Adults
For Immediate Release
Contact: Peter Clark, 512-473-2274, [email protected]
New Census Report Shows Texas Has Worst Uninsured Rate in the US for Kids and Adults
Advocates Call on Governor Abbott and the Legislature to Take Action
Austin - Texas had the nation’s worst uninsured rate in 2021, with 18.0 percent of Texans missing out on health coverage compared to 8.6 percent nationwide, according to American Community Survey (ACS) data released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau. Texas lagged far behind every state, with Oklahoma’s 13.8 percent ranking second-to-last in the U.S. Nearly a quarter (24.3 percent) of all Texans aged 19-64 were uninsured. Texas also had the highest children’s uninsured rate in the country at 11.8 percent, more than twice the national average of 5.4 percent.
“It’s unacceptable that our state leaders continue to leave so many Texans out in the cold when it comes to health care,” said Anne Dunkelberg, Senior Analyst at Every Texan. “We need the Governor and the Legislature to make health coverage a priority during the next legislative session.”
“Our state leaders have to do a better job of making sure Texans can get the health care they need, whether it’s a mom with a newborn baby managing postpartum depression or a sick student who needs medicine to get back to school,” said Diana Forester, Director of Health Policy at Texans Care for Children.
Texas is one of only 12 states that continue to reject Medicaid expansion, meaning that Texas adults with incomes below the poverty line do not qualify for Medicaid insurance and are typically left uninsured. Many of them do not receive health insurance through their jobs and do not earn enough to purchase private health insurance without subsidies. Health coverage subsidies are available for low- and middle-income Texans above the poverty line but not those below the poverty line because Medicaid expansion is intended to cover them. Under Texas policy, Medicaid health insurance is largely limited to children, seniors, people with disabilities, and pregnant Texans, leaving out other Texans with low incomes.
“By continuing to block Medicaid expansion, the Governor and the Legislature are endangering the lives of Texans across the state and leaving millions of federal dollars on the table,” said Patrick Bresette, Executive Director of Children’s Defense Fund - Texas. “Their decision is hurting Texans in every community, but it’s hitting communities of color the hardest.”
Texans of all racial/ethnic backgrounds identified in the Census Bureau data — including Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian — had a higher uninsured rate than the national rate. The data also showed significant racial/ethnic disparities, with particularly high uninsured rates among Texans identified in the report as Hispanic or American Indian.
The Census data showed that Texas lagged behind neighboring states that have implemented Medicaid expansion. The uninsured rate in New Mexico was 10.0 percent, and the Arkansas rate was 9.2 percent. Both states have accepted Medicaid expansion funding to expand access to health coverage.
Census data also contained good news on the nation’s uninsured rate, highlighting that policy decisions can improve access to health coverage. According to the ACS data, the nation’s uninsured rate fell from 9.2 percent in 2019 to 8.6 percent in 2021. In Texas, the children’s uninsured rate improved from 12.7 percent in 2019 to 11.8 percent in 2021. The improvements coincided with pandemic Public Health Emergency (PHE) policies that have allowed children and mothers to remain enrolled in Medicaid health insurance and provided states with billions of dollars to cover the costs. The federal government has signaled that it will keep the PHE policies in place until January 2023.
The new data come as the Texas Legislature is considering ways to improve health coverage during the 2023 legislative session. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, for example, has vowed to pass legislation next year to allow Texas moms to remain enrolled in Medicaid health insurance for a full year after pregnancy. The Legislature passed a bill in 2021 to allow for six months of health coverage, but it has not been implemented. He has also appointed a Committee to study health care issues for next session, including strategies to help uninsured children enroll in health coverage if they are already eligible. Their next hearing is October 3rd. A recent report from Texans Care for Children outlined steps the Legislature can take, highlighting that 400,000 uninsured Texas kids are eligible for health coverage but unenrolled.
“We’re excited to see that legislative leaders are planning to make some real progress on health care for moms and kids during the next legislative session,” said Ms. Forester.
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