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US Census: Fewer Americans uninsured in 2011

The number of Americans without health insurance declined to 48.6 million in 2011, according to a report released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

By comparison, 49.9 million Americans were uninsured in 2010, representing 16.3% of the population, according to data in the bureau’s report entitled “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011.” Last year that figure decreased to 15.7%, the lowest it has been since 2008 when 14.9%, or 44.7 million Americans, were uninsured.

Other highlights:

•  The number and percentage of people with health insurance in 2011 increased to 260.2 million and 84.3%, respectively, compared with 256.6 million and 83.7% in 2010.
• The percentage of people with private health insurance coverage remained static from 2010 to 2011 at 63.9%, the first time in 10 years that private insurance did not decrease.
• People covered by government plans rose to 99.5 million (32.2%) in 2011 from 95.5 million (31.2%) in 2010.
• There were 50.8 million people (16.5%) covered by Medicaid last year compared with 48.5 million (15.8%) in 2010.