A million more people likely went without health insurance in 2019 than the year before, according to a new report from the Census Bureau.
In 2019, 9.2 percent of Americans, or 29.6 million, didn't have health insurance. That's up from 8.9 percent, or 28.6 million, a year earlier.
The finding is based on data collected from the American Community Survey. The bureau also cited findings from another survey, the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement, which found that the uninsured rate was closer to 8 percent, or 26.1 million people.
"The diverging results from the two surveys may reflect real-world changes," the bureau said. "For instance, the timing of changes in economic conditions may affect when individuals experience coverage transitions. Higher employment in the latter part of the year may not be reflected in coverage estimates at time of [the ACS] interview, but may be captured by measures of any coverage in the previous calendar year [in the CPS ASEC]. At the same time, the operational changes to CPS ASEC data collection required due to the COVID-19 pandemic may also have contributed to higher estimates of employer-provided coverage."
To read the full report, click here.