Census: Big drop in numbers of uninsured, especially for minorities

The U.S. Census Bureau released its annual report on health insurance coverage Wednesday, showing the benefits accrued over five years of reforms. But not all Americans have benefited equally: Race and income affect one's likelihood of being insured.  

Earlier this week, when the Ferguson Commission, a group formed in the wake of the police shooting death of Michael Brown in August 2014, issued its own report, policy recommendations not only included reforms of policing and court fees but also improvements to health and social services programs. Among the most concrete suggestions: that “Missouri join the other 31 states that have expanded Medicaid [under the Affordable Care Act]” — as a matter of racial justice.

Today's Census Bureau report gives further support for this recommendation. Thanks in large part to the continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare.” the percentage of uninsured U.S. residents declined to 10.4 percent (33 million people) in 2014, from 13.3 percent (48.3 million) in 2013 and 16 percent in 2010.

Percentage of Americans uninsured

Source: Census Bureau

The drop in the uninsured population is even more dramatic by income and race. Lower-income households — in particular, those earning less than $50,000 per year — saw the largest percentage decreases in people lacking health insurance. Analysts say these gains are concentrated in the states (including Washington, D.C.) that have opted to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act.

Fewer blacks, Hispanics and Asians lacked health insurance in 2014 compared with the year before — 4 to 5 percent fewer, depending on the group — while whites saw a 2 percent drop in uninsured. Still, whites in the U.S. are much more likely to be covered: Only 7.6 percent of this population lacks health insurance; the figure is closer 20 percent for Hispanics, 11.8 percent for African-Americans and 9.3 percent for Asians. 

Percentage of Americans without health insurance, by race

Source: Census Bureau

Percentage of Americans without health insurance, by household income

Source: Census Bureau

Other Census data released Wednesday revealed stable, but still significant, rates of financial hardship [PDF]. Those living at or below the federal poverty level (calculated at $20,000 annual income for a household of three) still hovered around 15 percent of the population — nearly 47 million people. The measure of inequality (the divide between rich and poor) also stayed steady in 2014, at a level higher than for many comparable, developed nations. 

Yet all these indicators differ starkly by race. In 2014, Asian households had a median income of about $74,000, compared with approximately $60,000 for whites, $35,000 for blacks and $42,000 for Hispanics. Since the Great Recession of 2008 to 2009, the wealth gap has widened along racial lines (between whites and African-Americans and whites and Hispanics), the poverty rate among African-American children has remained at nearly 40 percent, while decreasing for kids in other racial groups.