More than 9 in 10 people in the U.S. had some type of health insurance coverage in 2019, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Nationwide, 9.2% of Americans went uninsured.
However, the rates of coverage can vary widely from state to state.
Following are the states with the smallest proportion of uninsured residents and therefore the biggest share of people covered by health insurance.
For a look at the states at the opposite end of this spectrum, check out “16 States With the Worst Health Insurance Rates.”
15. Kentucky
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 gave states the option to expand Medicaid eligibility to people whose income was below are particular threshold. Kentucky, like most states on this list, is among 32 states that had expanded its Medicaid program as of Jan. 1, 2019, the Census Bureau reports.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state health insurance program that covers people with low incomes or disabilities.
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 6.4%
- 2018: 5.6%
- 2010: 15.3%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
14. New Hampshire
Between 2010, when former President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, and 2019, the share of New Hampshire residents without insurance fell 4.9%. The Census Bureau notes that this trend stands nationwide.
“All states and the District of Columbia had a lower uninsured rate in 2019 than in 2010.”
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 6.3%
- 2018: 5.7%
- 2010: 11.1%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
13. Maryland
Maryland is home to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, which U.S. News & World Report ranks as the top hospital in the country for multiple specialties — from ear, nose and throat care to psychiatry — as we report in “The 20 Highest-Ranked U.S. Hospitals in 2020.” The publication also ranks the Baltimore hospital the No. 3 hospital in the country overall.
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 6%
- 2018: 6%
- 2010: 11.3%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
12. Connecticut
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 5.9%
- 2018: 5.3%
- 2010: 9.1%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
10. Michigan (tie)
University of Michigan Hospitals-Michigan Medicine, located in the city of Ann Arbor, ranks among the top 20 hospitals in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 5.8%
- 2018: 5.4%
- 2010: 12.4%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
10. Pennsylvania (tie)
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 5.8%
- 2018: 5.5%
- 2010: 10.2%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
9. Wisconsin
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 5.7%
- 2018: 5.5%
- 2010: 9.4%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Not expanded
8. New York
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 5.2%
- 2018: 5.4%
- 2010: 11.9%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
7. Iowa
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 5%
- 2018: 4.7%
- 2010: 9.3%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
6. Minnesota
Minnesota is home to the top hospital in the nation, the Mayo Clinic, as we reported in “The 20 Highest-Ranked U.S. Hospitals in 2020.”
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 4.9%
- 2018: 4.4%
- 2010: 9.1%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
5. Vermont
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 4.5%
- 2018: 4%
- 2010: 8%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
4. Hawaii
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 4.2%
- 2018: 4.1%
- 2010: 7.9%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
3. Rhode Island
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 4.1%
- 2018: 4.1%
- 2010: 12.2%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
2. District of Columbia
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 3.5%
- 2018: 3.2%
- 2010: 7.6%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
1. Massachusetts
While Massachusetts’ uninsured rate (3%) is technically lower than that of No. 2 District of Columbia (3.5%), the Census Bureau notes that the 0.5-percentage-point difference was not considered statistically significant.
Share of the state’s population without health insurance coverage in:
- 2019: 3%
- 2018: 2.8%
- 2010: 4.4%
State’s Medicaid expansion status as of Jan. 1, 2019: Expanded eligibility
Disclosure: The information you read here is always objective. However, we sometimes receive compensation when you click links within our stories.
Add a Comment
Our Policy: We welcome relevant and respectful comments in order to foster healthy and informative discussions. All other comments may be removed. Comments with links are automatically held for moderation.