The number of Americans who don’t have medical insurance is on the rise, breaking the streak of record-low rates of uninsured people since the COVID-19 pandemic. As of March, 8% of Americans of all ages were uninsured, compared to 7.7% in March of 2023.
That means more than a million people lost coverage in the span of a year.
For four consecutive quarters in 2023, the percentage of uninsured Americans was below 8%, according to a new CDC report. Before the 2020 pandemic the nation’s uninsured rate was at its highest ever — above 10%.
The lower number of uninsured Americans after 2020 can mostly be attributed federal government policies barring states from redetermining eligibility for Medicaid enrollment during the pandemic. Since states have been allowed to redetermine eligibility for Medicaid, nearly 25 million people have been dropped from the coverage.
The Congressional Budget Office also forecasts the U.S. uninsured rate will worsen over the coming years. It said in addition to the end of pandemic-era insurance policies, a surge in immigration could likely drive up uninsured rates.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have also predicted the number of uninsured Americans is likely to reach pre-pandemic levels in two years.
