Only Missouri and Maine experienced an increase in uninsured rates in 2011, while the remaining 29 states and the District of Columbia didn’t see a significant change, according to the report, which examined small area health insurance data gathered from 2008 to 2011. In 2011, state-level uninsured rates for people younger than 65 ranged from 4.9 percent in Massachusetts to 25.7 percent in Texas.
At least 8.5 million currently uninsured Americans are expected to purchase coverage through the new insurance exchanges created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The bureau’s small area health insurance estimates can be used to determine the number and geographic distribution of people eligible for the new health insurance exchanges or expanded Medicaid coverage under the PPACA, according to the report. For example, the census data shows Cook County in Illinois contains 52.5 percent of the state’s uninsured population under 65 who qualify for the new health insurance marketplace or the expanded Medicaid program.
The Census Bureau provides an interactive data and mapping tool on its website.
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