Well, in a ranking of states, we stood about right in the middle in 2010. Roughly 86 percent of Utahns had some sort of healthcare insurance during 2010 better than the national average of 84 percent. Keep in mind that health insurance includes not only private insurance, but public insurance as well (Medicaid and Medicare). At the top of the ranking, in Massachusetts 94 percent of the population is covered by health insurance, while Texas brings up the rear with only 75 percent of its population with insurance.
Utah doesn't do quite so well when it comes to insuring low income children. Only 30 percent of individuals under 19 at or below 200 percent of poverty had health insurance placing Utah in the bottom third of all states. Nationally, 37 percent of low-income children are insured.
Here are some of the highlights of the report for the entire U.S.:
- In 2010, the percentage of people without health insurance, 16.3 percent, was not statistically different from the rate in 2009. The number of uninsured people increased to 49.9 million in 2010 from 49.0 million in 2009.
- The percentage of people with health insurance in 2010 was not statistically different from 2009, while the number of insured increased to 256.2 million in 2010 from 255.3 million in 2009.
- The percentage of people covered by private health insurance decreased in 2010 to 64.0 percent, while the number of people covered by private health insurance was not statistically different from 2009, at 195.9 million. The percentage of people covered by private health insurance has been decreasing since 2001.
- The percentage and number of people covered by government health insurance increased to 31.0 percent and 95.0 million in 2010 from 30.6 percent and 93.2 million in 2009.
- The percentage of people covered by employment-based health insurance decreased to 55.3 percent in 2010 from 56.1 percent in 2009. The number of people covered by employment-based health insurance decreased to 169.3 million from 170.8 million.
- The percentage and number of people covered by Medicaid in 2010, 15.9 percent and 48.6 million, were not statistically different from 2009 estimates. The percentage and number of people covered by Medicare increased in 2010 to 14.5 percent and 44.3 million.
- In 2010, 9.8 percent of children under age 18 (7.3 million) were without health insurance, not statistically different from the 2009 estimates. The uninsured rate for children in poverty (15.4 percent) was greater than the rate for all children (9.8 percent).
- The rate and number of uninsured for non-Hispanic Whites in 2010 were 11.7 percent and 23.1 million, not statistically different from 2009. The uninsured rate and the number of uninsured Blacks were 20.8 percent and 8.1 million, not statistically different from 2009.
- The percentage of uninsured Hispanics decreased to 30.7 percent in 2010 from 31.6 percent in 2009. The number of uninsured Hispanics in 2010 (15.3 million) was not statistically different from 2009.
