San Francisco's uninsured rate comes in below national average
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San Francisco County's rate of residents under 65 without health insurance came in below the national and state averages in 2022, new census data shows.
Why it matters: The insured population grew from 2021 to 2022 — rising in 627 U.S. counties and falling in just 23 — while pandemic-era coverage protections remained in place, per nonprofit KFF.
Yes, but: Preliminary estimates indicate the national uninsured rate grew in the first quarter of this year after hitting a record low last year, as unemployment ticked up and states cut Medicaid rolls.
By the numbers: San Francisco recorded 4.2% of residents — or about 27,400 people — uninsured in 2022.
- That was well below the overall national rate of 9.5%, as well as the statewide rate of 7.5%.
- As recently as 2006, four years before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, 17.8% of U.S. residents lacked health insurance.
Zoom in: San Francisco County had the third-lowest uninsured rate in California.
- Neighboring Monterey County had the highest at 11.6%, while Placer County, in the Sacramento metro area, had the state's lowest uninsured rate at 3.7%.
Caveat: A low uninsured rate doesn't mean disparities don't still exist.
- A 2021 ABC7 News analysis of census records found that Hispanics in the San Francisco metro area were almost four times more likely to be uninsured than white people. Black residents' uninsured rate was nearly twice that of white people.
- And while Medi-Cal eligibility now includes all low-income adults, half a million undocumented people in California lack affordable coverage options, according to a 2023 study from the UC Berkeley Labor Center.