The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the number of uninsured Americans has reached a record low of 25.3 million people, accounting for 7.7% of the population in the first quarter of 2023. This includes a record low of 4.2% of children and 11% of working-age adults between 18 and 64 who have no health insurance. The CDC also found that nearly two-thirds of people under 65 have private health insurance, while over a quarter have public health coverage.
According to Robin Cohen, acting associate director for science at the National Center for Health Statistics’ Division of Health Interview Statistics, the estimates are based on preliminary files and do not provide a breakdown by type of private health insurance or public coverage. The report did not offer an explanation for this trend, and CDC officials declined to speculate.
Some health experts have suggested that the expansion of continuous enrollment during the pandemic by Congress is the main reason for the decrease in uninsured Americans. Pavani Rangachari, director of the health care administration program at the University of New Haven, pointed out that while improvements in insurance coverage were widespread during the pandemic, they were particularly significant for Hispanic individuals, those in low-income families, and people in working families.
However, the report does not include data from April onwards when Medicaid ended continuous enrollment implemented during COVID-19. Some experts have warned that the resumption of annual reviews could result in disenrollment of up to 14 million Medicaid recipients in the coming months.
Future government reports will be necessary to confirm if this trend continues. Katy Talento, an epidemiologist and former top health advisor to President Trump, suggests that the numbers may revert to previous levels once disenrollment slows down.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.