More people in Texas have lost health insurance during Trump’s term than in any other state
- Pexels / Vidal Balielo Jr.
The number of Texans who lack health insurance has soared by 689,000 during President Donald Trump’s time in office — the largest increase of any state — according to a new study of U.S. Census data.
Texas’ increase mirrors a national trend, according to the analysis, released Tuesday by investigative journalism site Capital & Main. The ranks of the uninsured nationwide grew by 2.3 million between 2016 and 2019, according to C&M’s number crunching. Insurance rates only increased in seven states during that period.
That rise comes as the U.S. grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in record hospitalizations in Texas and other states.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Since taking office, his administration engaged in numerous legal challenges to the ACA, including asking the U.S. Supreme Court this summer to overturn the law.
However, during nearly four years in office, Trump hasn’t backed a proposal that would replace health insurance for the up to 23 million Americans who rely on the ACA for coverage.
The 2016-2019 increase in the number of uninsured Americans follows six straight years of declines that began in 2010 with the implementation of the ACA under President Barack Obama, according to C&M’s analysis.
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