CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that the national medically uninsured rate in the U.S. is just 8.2%. In the first quarter of 2024, the Texas rate sat nearly three times the national rate at 21.7%.
Sales manager of Insurance Solutions Will Heavin said there are two reasons why Texas leads the country in uninsured rate.
The first is that only about 49% of businesses offer health insurance to their employees.
"Reason number two is a lot of people's whose incomes are lower than what we call the federal poverty level, which, believe it or not for an individual is $15,000 a year, they are not allowed to get Medicaid because Texas did not expand Medicaid," Heavin said.
He added that when it comes to looking at the Coastal Bend's uninsured rate as a whole, the region leads the state in medically uninsured individuals.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2006, the uninsured rate in Texas was close to 28%. With that number dropping 19% in 2022, Heavin says the decrease has to do with people utilizing the Affordable Care Act.
"As long as we have the Affordable Care Act and it's not overturned by some politician, I believe that number will continue to grow of people having coverage," he said.
Open enrollment for an affordable care act plan starts on Friday, Nov. 1 and ends on Jan. 15. The last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start Jan. 1 is Dec. 15.
“Every year, we add about 10% to 20% as a nation to the health coverage through the Affordable Care Act," Heavin said. "Four out of five can enroll in a plan for less than $10 a month. Probably about 90% of our clients pay zero. That's because in South Texas, and this is a very well-known figure, people tend to get paid less."
For more information about the Affordable Care Act and how you can find a plan that works for you, click here.