Number of uninsured Iowans remains steady

DES MOINES — New U.S. Census Bureau data shows the percentage of Iowans who lack health insurance remains among the lowest in the country.

The state is ranked seventh best for having a 4.7 percent rate of people without health insurance in 2018 – the same percentage as the previous year. That’s about 148,000 uninsured Iowans.

Nationwide, the 2018 rate increased for the first time since 2009 with 27.5 million Americans without health insurance at any point during the year – up from 25.6 million the previous year. The data shows the shift was mainly driven by a decline in Medicaid coverage.