Gallup said the number was 50 percent when tracking began in Jan. 2008. The number of uninsured stood at 16.1 percent last month, slightly down from the high of 16.8 percent in May. The uninsured figure rose significantly in the fall of 2008 and exceeded the 16 percent mark for the first time in February 2009.
The number of adults enrolled in federal health insurance programs dipped slightly from 26.3 percent in September to 26 percent last month. However, the rate is still up from 22.5 percent in January 2008.
Read the Gallup release on the uninsured.
Read more coverage on growth of the uninsured:
– Number of Uninsured Up 5M During Recession
– Hospitals React to Rise of Bad Debt, Charity Care
– End of Federal Subsidies for COBRA Coverage Could Swell Ranks of Uninsured
