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Epidemics

Health Coverage and Poverty Rates in 2019 Revealed Negative Trends

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Income rose and poverty declined in 2019, but the number of Americans without health insurance increased for the third consecutive year despite a growing economy. According to the American Community Survey (ACS), the uninsured rate rose from 8.9 percent in 2018 to 9.2 percent in 2019, with 2.3 million more Americans uninsured in 2019 than in 2016. Hispanic individuals, particularly those with public coverage, saw significant increases in uninsured rates. Trump Administration policies, such as the "public charge" rule, likely contributed to these negative trends.

Key Takeaways:

  • The number of Americans without health insurance increased for the third consecutive year, from 8.9 percent in 2018 to 9.2 percent in 2019.
  • The increase in the uninsured rate is attributed to Trump Administration policies, particularly the "public charge" rule, which created a climate of fear among immigrants and their family members, discouraging eligible individuals from enrolling in Medicaid or marketplace coverage.
  • Hispanic individuals, particularly those with public coverage, saw significant increases in uninsured rates, with a 1.4 percentage-point drop in the share of Hispanic individuals with public coverage driving the overall decline in health insurance among Hispanic individuals.
  • The Census Bureau concluded that the pandemic and associated safety concerns forced it to stop in-person interviews and make other changes in collecting data, which sharply reduced response rates in the survey, especially among lower-income households.
  • The adjusted Census numbers show median household income climbing 4.1 percent in 2019 after adjusting for inflation, from $64,180 in 2018 to $66,790 in 2019, and the poverty rate falling from 11.9 percent in 2018 to 11.1 percent in 2019.
  • The current economic situation, with the deepest recession since the 1930s, has fundamentally altered the economic landscape, rendering the 2019 findings an inaccurate gauge of current circumstances.

Statistics:

  • 9.2 percent of Americans were uninsured in 2019, up from 8.9 percent in 2018 (ACS).
  • 2.3 million more Americans were uninsured in 2019 than in 2016 (ACS).
  • The share of Hispanic individuals with public coverage dropped by 1.4 percentage points, driving the overall decline in health insurance among Hispanic individuals (ACS).
  • 4.1 percent increase in median household income in 2019 after adjusting for inflation (Census).
  • 11.1 percent poverty rate in 2019, down from 11.9 percent in 2018 (Census).
  • 22 million adults in households that lacked sufficient food in August 2020 (Census Household Pulse survey).
  • 61 million workers and family members were either officially unemployed or lived with an unemployed family member in August 2020 (Census).

Sources:

  • [1] Jonathan Rothbaum, "How Does the Pandemic Affect Survey Response: Using Administrative Data to Evaluate Nonresponse in the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement," U.S. Census Bureau, September 15, 2020, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/research-matters/2020/09/pandemic-affect-survey-response.html.
  • [2] CBPP analysis of the August 2020 basic monthly Current Population Survey public-use file.
  • [3] Food insecurity may have doubled overall and tripled among households with children in April and May 2020, according to estimates using data from the COVID Impact Survey, Current Population Survey, and other sources.
  • [4] Lauren Bauer, "About 14 million children in the US are not getting enough to eat," Brookings Institution, July 9, 2020, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/07/09/about-14-million-children-in-the-us-are-not-getting-enough-to-eat.

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