Report: R.I. has seventh lowest uninsured rate in U.S.

RHODE ISLAND had the seventh lowest uninsured rate in the nation last year, WalletHub said. / COURTESY WALLETHUB
RHODE ISLAND had the seventh lowest uninsured rate in the nation last year, WalletHub said. / COURTESY WALLETHUB

PROVIDENCE – With 5.71 percent of people uninsured, Rhode Island has the seventh lowest uninsured rate in the U.S., according to an in-depth analysis conducted by personal finance website WalletHub released this week.
Massachusetts has the lowest uninsured rate in the country with 2.82 percent of people uninsured, while Texas has the highest rate with 17.1 percent of people uninsured.
In addition to comparing overall insurance rates in the 50 states in 2015, WalletHub analysts also compared states based on age, race and income. Age was broken down between children (aged 0 to 17) and adults (aged 18 and older); race was broken down among whites, African Americans and Latinos; and income was broken down between lower income ($50,000 or less) and higher income ($100,000 or more).
According to WalletHub, the uninsured rate in Rhode Island decreased by 6.47 percent from 2010 to 2015. The following were uninsured in the Ocean State in 2015: 3.43 percent of children (15th); 6.28 percent of adults (seventh); 3.71 percent of Whites (fifth); 9.63 percent of African Americans (22nd); 14.51 percent of Latinos (11th); 9.12 percent of lower-income households (10th); and 2.82 percent of higher-income households (11th).
In addition to comparing all 50 states, WalletHub also compared the uninsured rates of 548 U.S. cities in 2015. Four cities in Rhode Island made the list, including Cranston at No. 47, Warwick at No. 59, Pawtucket at No. 190 and Providence at No. 329. The highest ranked city in New England was Cambridge, Mass., at No. 2, while the worst ranked city in New England was Danbury, Conn., at No. 530.
According to the report, the uninsured rate in Providence decreased by 11.6 percent from 2010 to 2015. The following were uninsured in Providence in 2015: 5.49 percent of children (392nd); 11.9 percent of adults (321st); 5.82 percent of Whites (263rd); 7.09 percent of African Americans (102nd); 16.64 percent of Latinos (185th); 13.15 percent of lower-income households (267th); and 6.03 percent of higher-income households (387th).
Nationally, the uninsured rate fell by 6.02 percent from 2010 to 2015. The following were uninsured in the U.S. in 2015: 4.81 percent of children; 10.79 percent of adults; 6.29 percent of Whites; 10.97 percent of African Americans; 19.51 percent of Latinos; 14.24 percent of lower-income households; and 4.07 percent of higher-income households.

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