California\'s Uninsured Rate Plunges

Thanks to California's earnest embrace of the Affordable Care Act, the state's rate of uninsured dropped by half between 2013 and last year.

According to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the rate of uninsured in the Golden State dropped from 17.2% in 2013 to 8.6% in 2015. That's below the nationwide uninsured rate of 9.1%, down from nearly 15% in 2013.

The state expanded Medicaid eligibility under the ACA early through a federal waiver, and about one in three residents have coverage through Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program. But the state also operates the Covered California health insurance exchange, which has engaged in an aggressive marketing campaign to sign up individuals and their families for coverage. About 90% of those who purchase insurance on the exchange receive tax subsidies to reduce their premiums.

Although the drop in uninsured is dramatic, California does not have the lowest rate of uninsured in the nation; it is almost exactly in the middle of the pack, behind 24 states and the District of Columbia.

The honor of lowest uninsured rate belongs to Massachusetts, which introduced a state version of the ACA about a decade ago. Along with that state, the D.C., Vermont, Hawaii and Minnesota have uninsured rates below 5%.

Texas has the nation's highest uninsured rate, at 17.1%, although that is down from 22.1% in 2013.