The percentage of Americans without health insurance peaked in 1999 was 13.6%, with New Mexico having the highest rate at 24%, and Rhode Island the lowest with 5.9%. The percentage rose for the next twelve years, and in 2010 peaked at an all-time high rate of 16.3%, but this continued to vary widely from state to state. Massachusetts then had the lowest rate of uninsured at 5.5% while Texas had the highest, at 24.6%. Some states had hardly changed in those twelve years by some had changed dramatically. The rates of uninsured actually fell in Massachusetts and Hawaii, while they doubled in Missouri and Rhode Island. Two years later, with some ACA provisions in place, in 2012, the national rate was down to 15.4%, with Massachusetts down to 4.1%, though Texas again at 24.6%. In 2012 the five places with the lowest rates of uninsured were MA, VT, CT, HI and DC. The five states with the highest rates of uninsured were TX, NM, NV, GA, and FL. All the above figures are from the Census Bureau. According to the most recent Gallup poll, the uninsured rate now is 13.4%, the lowest it has been since 2000, if correct and comparable. However, Gallup figures may not be comparable to Census Bureau figures, as the method of measuring are different. For example, according to Gallup, the uninsured rate peaked at the end of last year at 18%. And Gallup only began asking about health insurance coverage in January of 2008, so they can only say that the present figure is the lowest since then.
The percentage of Americans without health insurance peaked in 1999 was 13.6%, with New Mexico having the highest rate at 24%, and Rhode Island the lowest with 5.9%. The percentage rose for the next twelve years, and in 2010 peaked at an all-time high rate of 16.3%, but this continued to vary widely from state to state. Massachusetts then had the lowest rate of uninsured at 5.5% while Texas had the highest, at 24.6%. Some states had hardly changed in those twelve years by some had changed dramatically. The rates of uninsured actually fell in Massachusetts and Hawaii, while they doubled in Missouri and Rhode Island. Two years later, with some ACA provisions in place, in 2012, the national rate was down to 15.4%, with Massachusetts down to 4.1%, though Texas again at 24.6%. In 2012 the five places with the lowest rates of uninsured were MA, VT, CT, HI and DC. The five states with the highest rates of uninsured were TX, NM, NV, GA, and FL. All the above figures are from the Census Bureau. According to the most recent Gallup poll, the uninsured rate now is 13.4%, the lowest it has been since 2000, if correct and comparable. However, Gallup figures may not be comparable to Census Bureau figures, as the method of measuring are different. For example, according to Gallup, the uninsured rate peaked at the end of last year at 18%. And Gallup only began asking about health insurance coverage in January of 2008, so they can only say that the present figure is the lowest since then.