An annual report published by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that North Carolina’s rate of uninsured individuals has dropped to record lows—but are still higher when compared to other states.
The report said that 13.2% of North Carolinians of all ages were not covered by any sort of health insurance in 2015. In comparison, North Carolina posted an uninsured rate of 20% in 2011.
Despite the marked improvement, the state ranked 47th in the nation in terms of insurance coverage percentage.
The national uninsured rate in 2015 fell to 9.1%—the first time in history that less than one in ten Americans lacked health insurance, the CDC said.
The expansion of Medicaid coverage was largely responsible for increasing the number of insured individuals nationally, the report observed. Notably, North Carolina was one of the states that chose not to expand Medicaid, which could explain why its uninsured rate had not dropped sharply as in other states.
Another factor that could explain North Carolina’s relatively high uninsured rate when compared to other states is its more stringent Medicaid restrictions. For instance, single men are ineligible for Medicaid in the state, unless they are disabled. In another instance, families with one teenager only qualify if the household monthly income is less than $1,317.
