Healthcare Repeal Brings Focus Back to Uninsured

Congressional Republicans are attempting to live up to one of their key 2010 campaign promises with the introduction of H.R. 2, better known as the "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act." The House is expected to vote Wednesday on the bill, which aims to repeal the March 2010 healthcare reform act. One of the key provisions that Republicans find most offensive is the reform act's "individual mandate," which requires that all U.S. citizens be covered by health insurance. Altogether, 16 percent of Americans are uninsured, according to figures from the Census Bureau, though some states contribute to that figure far more than others. Under the new healthcare law, over 1 in 4 Texas residents will need to find coverage, along with more than 1 in 5 residents of New Mexico and Florida. The states with the smallest segment of uninsured residents are Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Minnesota. [See photos of healthcare reform protests.]

Many factors influence health insurance coverage rates, and one chief determinant is employment. As many people obtain their insurance from an employer, there is naturally a moderate correlation between state unemployment rates and insurance rates. One of the main outliers in this respect is Massachusetts, which in 2006 passed a law both requiring most residents to obtain insurance and providing a state-regulated health insurance plan to certain low-income residents. Massachusetts has by far the lowest rate of uninsured citizens--5 percent--but a moderate unemployment rate of 8.2 percent. Other states with unemployment rates between 8 and 9 percent have far higher uninsured rates than Massachusetts, ranging from 12 percent to 26 percent. [See a slide show of 10 things that are--and aren't--in the healthcare law.]

Another factor is demographics. For example, Hispanic residents are far less likely to be insured than other major ethnic or racial groups. Many of the states in the top 10, such as Texas, New Mexico, Florida, Nevada, Arizona, and California, have large Hispanic populations. Likewise, Americans age 20 to 24 have historically been less likely to be insured. However, the reform act may have already affected these rates; a provision allowing adults under the age of 26 to remain on their parents' health insurance plans went into effect in September 2010.

Below are the 10 states with the highest and lowest rates of uninsured residents.

StatePercent Uninsured (2008-2009)StatePercent Uninsured (2008-2009)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey

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