U.S. Uninsured Rate Rises to Four-Year High
* * *
- The
- Women, younger adults, the lower-income have the greatest increases
- All regions except for the East reported increases
* * *
The
Nationwide, the uninsured rate climbed from 10.9% in the third and fourth quarters of 2016 to 12.2% by the final quarter of 2017; it has risen steadily each quarter since that time. Since Gallup's measurement began in 2008, the national uninsured rate reached its highest point in the third quarter of 2013 at 18.0%, and thus, the current rate of 13.7% -- although it continues a rising trend -- remains well below the peak level.
These data, collected as part of the
The ACA marketplace exchanges opened on
Uninsured Rates Increase Most Among Women, Young Adults, the Lower-Income
The uninsured rate rose for most subgroups in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared with the same quarter in 2016, when the uninsured rate was lowest. Women, those living in households with annual incomes of less than
At 7.1%, the East region, which has in recent years maintained the lowest uninsured rate in the nation, is the only one of the four regions nationally whose rate is effectively unchanged since the end of 2016. Respondents from the West, Midwest and South regions all reported uninsured rates for the fourth quarter of 2018 that represent increases of over 3.0 points. The South, which has always had the highest uninsured rate in the
Implications
A number of factors have likely played a role in the steady increase in the uninsured rate over the past two years. One may be an increase in the rates of insurance premiums in many states for some of the more popular ACA insurance plans in 2018 (although most states saw premiums stabilize for 2019). For enrollees with incomes that do not qualify for government subsidies, the resulting hike in rates could have had the effect of driving them out of the marketplace. Insurers have also increasingly withdrawn from the ACA exchanges altogether, resulting in fewer choices and less competition in many states.
Other factors could be a result of policy decisions. The open enrollment periods since 2018 have been characterized by a significant reduction in public marketing and shortened enrollment periods of under seven weeks, about half of previous periods. Funding for ACA "navigators" who assist consumers in ACA enrollment has also been reduced in 2018 to
Other potential factors include political forces that may have increased uncertainty surrounding the ACA marketplace. Early in his presidency, for example, President
Trump's decision in
Primary Care Doctor Market: Rising Aging Population and Increasing Prevalence of Chronic Health Conditions to Drive the Market
Soft Tissue Repair Market: Advances in Breast Reconstruction and Hernia Repair Ventures to Steer Growth
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News