Proportion of American Parents Without Health Insurance Hits Five-Year Low
In 2015, 12% of all parents — 7 million Americans — lacked health insurance. This rate has steadily improved since 2010, when 18% of all parents lacked health insurance. The Affordable Care Act, signed in 2010, is attributed to the increased rates of parental insurance coverage.
Uninsured rates for parents vary from state to state. In Texas — the state where parents are mostly likely to lack health insurance — the uninsured rate is 24%. At the other end of the spectrum sits Massachusetts, where just 2% of parents lack health insurance. Hawaii and Vermont are tied for a close second, with parental uninsured rates of 3%.
Today, in America, 11 million children live in families with uninsured parents. These families often incur debt or cut back on necessities to pay for medical care. Furthermore, a lack of health insurance can negatively impact a child’s development, overall health and education.
Research also tells us that when a parent lacks health insurance, their children are more likely to lack health insurance.
Explore more health data — at the state and national level — in the KIDS COUNT Data Center.
