Iowa's uninsured rate is among the nation's lowest, but that may change
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Iowa in 2022 had among the country's lowest shares of residents under 65 without health insurance, according to new Census Bureau data. But newer, preliminary numbers show that might be changing.
Why it matters: Uninsured people are more likely to forgo needed care or preventative services, which can lead to higher rates of chronic disease with expensive and disabling complications.
State of play: As of 2022, Iowa's 5.4% uninsured rate was tied with Minnesota's, and lower than those of all surrounding states.
- Only Massachusetts (2.9%), Washington, D.C. (3.1%), Hawaii (4.3%), Vermont (4.9%) and Rhode Island (5.2%) were lower.
Catch up quick: Iowa's rates dropped about 10 years ago, mostly attributed to public insurance plans and the expansion of the Affordable Care Act.
The big picture: The 2022 national rate was 9.5%, down more than 8 percentage points from 2006.
- It fell in almost all U.S. counties between 2021 and 2022 — meaning Americans are trending toward being covered.
Threat level: More recent preliminary data shows an uptick in the overall uninsured rate as states cut Medicaid rolls and unemployment rises, Axios' Maya Goldman reports.
- Iowa has removed about 250,000 people from its Medicaid program since April 2023, mostly due to procedural reasons.
Zoom in: Of Iowa's 99 counties, Bremmer (3.6%) and Dallas and Warren (3.8%) had the lowest rates in 2022, while Davis (14.4%) and Crawford (9.8%) had the highest.
- Polk (5.5%) ranked 52.
Stunning state: Iowa's 2022 overall rate was about half as low as in 2006. Just over 137,000 people were uninsured at that time.
What we're watching: Local philanthropic groups say Medicaid disenrollment is creating a domino effect.
- The number of people experiencing homelessness in Polk County and those seeking help from food pantries set recent record highs.