The number of uninsured Americans has dropped to its lowest level since before the Great Recession, reports The Washington Post.
The gains in insured citizens came primarily among people buying individual policies, rather than getting health benefits through a job. This includes, but is not limited to, those obtaining insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Improvements were greatest in states that have expanded their Medicaid programs. Colorado is currently the only state in the HPPR listening area that has expanded its Medicaid coverage. For this reason, Colorado has lower rates of insured citizens than the other High Plains states. In Colorado, only eight percent of the populace is uninsured. Compare that with Texas, where 17 percent are uninsured, more than double Colorado’s rate. Texas currently has the highest rate of uninsured citizens in the U.S., and Oklahoma is third.
Massachusetts had the lowest uninsured rate, at under three percent.