Hawai‘i No. 2 in Nation for Lowest Uninsured Rates

Big Island Now photo.

Hawai‘i is ranked No. 2 in the nation among the states with the lowest number of uninsured residents, according to 2018’s State Uninsured Rates compiled by the personal finance website WalletHub.

Statistics show the number of uninsured Americans is back on the rise, according to WalletHub. A Gallup poll indicated the number of uninsured citizens in the U.S. dipped to a historic low of 10.9% in late 2016 following the passage of the Affordable Care Act. But a recent study by Commonwealth Fund shows that number has climbed to 15.5%.

The number of uninsured residents in Hawai‘i has changed by -4.04% between 2010 and 2017, according to the study. The number of uninsured children in Hawai‘i was reported at 2.2% and adults at 4.35% in the report.

WalletHub compared the rates of 547 U.S. cities and all 50 states, breaking them down by age, ethnicity and income level. Honolulu ranked No. 1 in the nation for the lowest uninsured rates among large U.S. cities.

Out-of-care medical costs are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States, according to USA Today.