Census: Uninsured rate stays at 8.8 percent in 2017 

An estimated 8.8 percent (28.5 million) of U.S. residents lacked health insurance for the entire year in 2017, not statistically different from 2016, the Census Bureau reported today. Between 2016 and 2017, the number of people with health insurance coverage increased by 2.3 million, up to 294.6 million, according to the report. In 2017, Hispanic residents had the highest uninsured rate (16.1 percent), followed by black (10.6 percent) and Asian (7.3 percent) residents. Children and adults in poverty had higher uninsured rates than those not in poverty. The percentage of people without health insurance coverage at the time of survey interview decreased in three states and increased in 14 states. The report is based on the Current Population Survey and American Community Survey.