PROJECTCharacteristics of the Uninsured in Texas

The number of insured people in the US has increased by 19 million people since implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) coverage reforms in 2014, but the increase has occurred unevenly across states. While every state has seen coverage growth, states that expanded Medicaid eligibility have seen the largest increases in coverage.  

Texas has the country’s highest uninsurance rate, with 4.7 million people younger than 65 estimated to be uninsured in 2018. We estimate that 19 percent of people in that age group are uninsured in 2018, more than 70 percent higher than the national rate of 11 percent. Although the uninsurance rate remains high in Texas, it represents a significant increase in coverage across a diverse group of residents since ACA implementation.

Urban Institute researchers have analyzed the characteristics of people who are uninsured in Texas both statewide and in local areas. The statewide analysis is described in a research brief. We have also produced fact sheets for 41 Texas counties or groups of counties that illustrate the substantial variation in the uninsured rate and characteristics of the uninsured population. Find these fact sheets below or within a state map.

The estimates in the brief and fact sheets are produced using the Urban Institute’s Health Insurance Policy Simulation Model and reflect characteristics of the state’s population in 2018. 

Read the brief:

The Uninsured in Texas: Statewide and Local Area Views
Matthew Buettgens, Linda J. Blumberg, and Clare Wang Pan
December 12, 2018

Local estimates of the uninsured and their characteristics:
Research Areas Health and health care
Policy Centers Health Policy Center