The Covid-19 pandemic has had an undeniable effect on the uninsured rate in the United States. According to a new report released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the uninsured rate for those under 65 dropped from 11% in 2019 to 10.5% in 2021. This rate dropped even further to an all-time low of 8% in the first quarter of 2022, before slightly rising to 8.6% in the second quarter.
The decline in the uninsured rate occurred despite the estimated 1.6 million to 3.3 million people who lost coverage through their employers due to the pandemic. This was largely attributed to federal pandemic health policies, including barring states from kicking people off Medicaid during the public health emergency in exchange for increased funding for the states, and an extended open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2021 with expanded tax credits and more funding for outreach. As a result, Medicaid enrollment swelled by more than 20 million from February 2020 through September 2022, while nearly 16 million people have signed up through the ACA during the current enrollment period, a 13% increase over last year.
The HHS estimates for the uninsured rate are based on data from the American Community Survey and National Health Interview Survey, both of which collect information from the U.S. population. Though the uninsured rate has decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic, the HHS estimates that this trend could be reversed when public health emergency protections end and millions are expected to lose coverage they gained through the program.