The census data, released this week, showed that 18% of Texans were uninsured in 2021 . It was a very different story in Massachusetts, where 2 1/2% of the residents were uninsured.
Census Bureau officials say a number of factors influence whether a person has health insurance or not. But a key factor could be whether the state a person lives in expanded its Medicaid eligibility to lower-income families.
The c ensus data shows that the five states with the highest uninsured rates did not expand its Medicaid eligibility. Texas leads that category followed by Oklahoma, Georgia, Wyoming and Florida.
A total of 36 states and the District of Columbia expanded Medicaid while 14 states have not.
The new data also reveals that a decline in the number of uninsured people across the country was driven by an increase in public coverage. Overall, 28 states saw a decline in the uninsured rate.
Got a tip? Email Stella M. Chávez at schavez@kera.org. You can follow Stella on Twitter @stellamchavez.
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