logo
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Have record levels of Americans been covered by health insurance during the Biden administration?

By Tom Kertscher
View this fact brief on Wisconsin Watch
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
YES

The rate of Americans without health insurance hit record lows in 2022 and 2023 by different measures.

The number of nonelderly uninsured individuals (25.6 million) and their uninsured rate (9.6%) reached record lows in 2022, the health policy organization KFF reported in December 2023.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department reported that the uninsured rate for all U.S. residents reached an all-time low of 7.2% in the second quarter of 2023. The figure increased to 8.2% in the first quarter of 2024.

The historic lows were due to federal coverage policies during the COVID-19 pandemic and states expanding Medicaid eligibility, the research group Commonwealth Fund reported.

The requirement that states keep people on Medicaid during the public health emergency ended in April 2023. Some 360,000 Wisconsin residents lost coverage.

President Joe Biden claimed Aug. 19, 2024, at the Democratic National Convention that more Americans than ever have health insurance.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
KFF Key Facts about the Uninsured Population
US Department of Health and Human Services National Uninsured Rate Reaches an All-Time Low in Early 2023 After the Close of the ACA Open Enrollment Period
Centers for Disease Control Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Quarterly Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January 2023–March 2024
Commonwealth Fund 2023 Scorecard on State Health System Performance
Wisconsin Watch Worried about losing Medicaid access in Wisconsin? What to know
USA TODAY Full speech: Joe Biden speaks at 2024 DNC | USA TODAY
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs from Wisconsin Watch
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.