Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than 26 percent of people younger than 65 — 5.8 million Texans — were uninsured in 2010. More than half of those people, 3.8 million, had an annual income less than or equal to 200 percent of the federal poverty line, which was $22,050 for a family of four in 2010.
Counties along the Texas-Mexico border have some of the highest uninsured rates. But nearly half of the uninsured population in 2010 — 2.7 million people — lived in the five most populous Texas counties, which contain Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin. In Harris County, the most populous county in the state, one of every three residents younger than 65 didn’t have health insurance in 2010.
This interactive map shows the percent of the population younger than 65 in each Texas county that lacked health insurance in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Hover over a county to see the size of the population and the number of uninsured.
Check out these Tribune interactives for more information on the demographics of the uninsured in Texas and the number of uninsured by city.
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Comments (15)
Hannah Katz
Interesting map. Can you do a similar one on uninsured drivers? I understand that in many parts of the state, high numbers of drivers are prowling our streets and highways illegally, with no auto insurance and often, no drivers licenses. Too often, when a driver is hit from behind while sitting at a red light, the offending driver is uninsured, unlicensed, undocumented, and drunk (unsober?). We need to get a handle on this menace.
Michelle Michon via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Not something to be proud of.
Maricela Gonzalez Rios via Texas Tribune on Facebook
WOW, whoever did this is a genius! Great job.
Melissa Spradlin-Bradley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
i think an article should be wrtten on the charity dental clinic Dr. Lawerence Oliver is opening this month in fort worth on berry and 820. Also the Dentists who volunteer at the salt and light clin
Melissa Spradlin-Bradley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
salt and light clinic on hemphill in fort worth. These dentists get it!
Donald Dickson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thanks to Governor Perry's ridiculous posturing and his Obama-hating temper tantrums, Texas residents like me who HAVE health insurance are going to continue to have to cover the cost of these people's health care, while our federal income tax dollars get diverted to more enlightened state governments. Thanks a bunch, Governor Goodhair.
Ruth Hill Pieper via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Good map. Would be interesting to have another category showing percentage having Medicaid for their insurance.
Meme Me
It's a lot more fun to drive a new truck$ than spend $800+ per month to insure your family for health insurance. And those Medicaid braces and gold capped teeth, frees up a lot of cash for laptops, flatscreens, I-pads and smartphones.It's one thing to say that citizens have lost their jobs and can't afford to pay for the insurance and it's another to say we're importing millions of foreigners who won't pay for health insurance.
Dave Mundy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Where's the chart locating the richest trial lawyers whose exorbitant fees and awards are what drove up the cost of health care in the first place?
Tom Sweazea via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Dave...we have tort reform in Texas. This is a GOPTP benefit, that and stupid session talk.
Audrey Fisher via Texas Tribune on Facebook
NOTE to readers: TX has yet another problem, as the company that the GOP have hired to run transactions for Medicaid Dental reimbursements is also percolating "under the radar" - at least for now. Hey Mr. Abbott - how about focusing on this: Kickback for DENTIST? http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/04/us-xerox-probe-idUSBRE88301J20120904?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews
Meme Me
Insurance companies and hospitals are in business to make a profit and that is why the costs of insurance/medical care are so high. Insurance companies are exempt from anti-trust laws.So, it's not the trial lawyer BS they sold you on. What a deal for the insurance companiesand hospitals, now you have no recourse when they uthanize your mother.
Stuart Greenfield
Good piece. It was especially nice to see that not only are we a red state electorally, but also one in citizens not having health insurance. I urge our heroic government to continue his efforts to prevent Texans from benefiting from the ACA, as we all know that being No. 1 in uninsured is almost as noteworthy as being No 1 in the football standing. Come-on Mack Brown why can't you do as well as our political leaders in attaining and maintaining a No. 1 status over time.
David Spratt
What is not mentioned is that all these people are covered under Medicaid. After Obama Care they will still be covered under Medicaid,, only they will have access to more services.
Donald,,,,, You are paying for them now,,,,,, and you will be paying for them into the future,, only at a higher rate...
Apparently some people do not understand the concept of WE THE PEOPLE,,,, Some continue to see the government and the copious amounts of cash that flow from it as something disconnected from them personally and as an totally independent entity. You are the government and the government is you.
NO ,,,BARAK OBAMA IS NOT REPONSIBLE FOR HIS FAILURE TO SOLVE CURRENT ISSUES ,,,,, THE PEOPLE WHO PUT HIM THERE ARE RESPONSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!
This would be the same concept as growing a garden that never requires plowing, planting, weeding, watering or fertilizing. All you do is just go out and pluck the fruit.
The taxing of the rich is supposed to pay for :
1, Reduction in the deficit
2. Obama Care
3 Reduction of debt
4. Hiring Teachers
5. Hiring Firefighters
6. Hiring Police
7. Infrastructure spending
8. Investment in Renewable energy
9. Investment in education ,,,,(Student Loans)
!0. Further Reductions in payroll taxes , which are already draining Social Security
11. Mortgage restructuring
12. Money for other countries to drill for oil
13. Aid to countries who sponsor terrorism ,,,,( Pakistan)
14. Support for countries with Islamic regimes not friendly to the U.S. or Israel,,,,( Egypt)
!5. Continued support for the U.N. ( A totally useless organization full of moochers and global socialists)
16. Replacing the money stolen from Medicare
MAN ,,, THOSE RICH FOLKS GOT THEIR WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM PAYING FOR ALL OF THIS AND MORE.
Kenna Giffin
People who are without insurance do NOT have Medicaid -- that IS insurance. Many of the uninsured are people who are working but simply do not make enough money to pay for insurance. I would guess that a fair proportion of them are in the 40-65 years range, when things start to go wrong no matter how healthy a lifestyle you live (and living in poverty or near poverty is extremely stressful, which is one of the largest contributors to chronic conditions). In that age range, insurance starts costing in the $1000 to $1500 per month range for premiums, plus co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles, etc. That means that even if one technically has insurance, one often does not get medical care until the condition is serious because one cannot pay the co-pays, co-insurance, and/or deductibles. As far as gadgets go -- people frequently hand down their out-of-date gadgets to other people at little or no cost, so just because someone has some of those devices doesn't mean they paid for them, or that they paid full cost.