Donny Deutsch at MSNBC's Morning Joe claimed that "Once again the party of no," Deutsch said on July 1, 2014. "The country’s will was for immigration reform, they're against it. Minimum wage, we want to raise it for everybody, another populist point of view. They don't want to do it. By the way, 13 percent of Americans, the lowest ever, are without health care. Everything is going in the right direction." The website PunditFact rated his statement as half true because he seemed to be relying on the quarterly Gallup Survey which is seen below which dates back to 2009 when the debate over the Affordable Care Act began.
That is one survey however. The Census Bureau has been measuring the rates with annual estimates since 1999 based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) for the state and national rates, as shown in the chart below. There has been a decline in the national rate from 2009-2012 but they are still above the pre-recession levels. The methods to measure these rates have evolved over time. Pennsylvania's rate has leveled off during the recession with an increase in 2012.
The Census Bureau uses another annual survey to estimate the uninsured rates at the local level, the American Community Survey to produce the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates. The estimates for 2012 are now out and are presented in the tables below with their respective margins of error. Over the years Philadelphia and Sullivan Counties have consistently had the top 2 rates in the state. Lancaster County's rate has changed little over the years and is now third. The 6th thru the tenth ranked counties are now all from the western half of the state. Allegheny County's rate has remained stable since 2010.
The trend for each of the state's 67 counties is presented at the bottom. Pennsylvania's rate looks different than in the graph above because different surveys were used but the basic trend is the same with the rate holding steady. Taken together these surveys do not suggest that the uninsured rate is at an all time low. Of course estimate for 2013 will be needed because that is when the ACA was fully implemented to assess it's impact but up to 2012, when it was partially implemented seems to have had little effect for Pennsylvania.
Top 10 County Uninsured Rates in PA
|
||||
county
|
% Uninsured 2012
|
MOE Uninsured 12 (+/- %)
|
||
1
|
Philadelphia
|
15.80
|
.70
|
|
2
|
Sullivan
|
14.70
|
1.40
|
|
3
|
Lancaster
|
14.50
|
.90
|
|
4
|
Susquehanna
|
14.40
|
1.20
|
|
5
|
Mifflin
|
14.30
|
1.30
|
|
6
|
Forest
|
14.20
|
1.50
|
|
7
|
Juniata
|
14.10
|
1.30
|
|
8
|
Crawford
|
13.80
|
1.10
|
|
9
|
Bedford
|
13.70
|
1.10
|
|
10
|
Indiana
|
13.60
|
1.20
|
|
Total
|
N
|
10
|
10
|
|
a. Limited to first 10 cases.
|
||||
Trend in County Uninsured Rates from 2008-2012
|
|||||||
county
|
% Uninsured 2008
|
% Uninsured 2009
|
% Uninsured 2010
|
% Uninsured 2011
|
% Uninsured 2012
|
MOE Uninsured 12 (+/- %)
|
|
1
|
Pennsylvania
|
10.60
|
11.70
|
12.10
|
12.00
|
11.70
|
.20
|
2
|
Adams
|
11.60
|
12.40
|
12.40
|
12.50
|
12.30
|
1.00
|
3
|
Allegheny
|
9.10
|
10.40
|
10.40
|
10.30
|
10.20
|
.60
|
4
|
Armstrong
|
12.20
|
11.80
|
12.10
|
12.10
|
11.30
|
1.00
|
5
|
Beaver
|
9.70
|
9.90
|
10.20
|
10.90
|
10.10
|
.80
|
6
|
Bedford
|
12.80
|
12.80
|
14.40
|
14.30
|
13.70
|
1.10
|
7
|
Berks
|
10.40
|
12.40
|
12.40
|
12.70
|
13.10
|
.80
|
8
|
Blair
|
10.30
|
11.80
|
12.20
|
11.20
|
11.20
|
1.00
|
9
|
Bradford
|
11.60
|
12.90
|
13.80
|
13.40
|
13.10
|
1.10
|
10
|
Bucks
|
7.60
|
8.00
|
8.80
|
8.70
|
8.70
|
.60
|
11
|
Butler
|
8.70
|
9.80
|
9.70
|
9.60
|
9.10
|
.70
|
12
|
Cambria
|
11.10
|
12.10
|
12.00
|
11.20
|
10.60
|
.80
|
13
|
Cameron
|
12.50
|
13.00
|
13.10
|
12.40
|
11.80
|
1.20
|
14
|
Carbon
|
11.60
|
11.90
|
13.40
|
12.40
|
12.20
|
1.10
|
15
|
Centre
|
10.60
|
11.20
|
12.60
|
11.80
|
12.00
|
1.20
|
16
|
Chester
|
7.90
|
8.50
|
9.50
|
9.50
|
8.80
|
.60
|
17
|
Clarion
|
12.70
|
13.60
|
13.80
|
13.50
|
12.40
|
1.20
|
18
|
Clearfield
|
12.60
|
13.50
|
13.20
|
12.70
|
11.80
|
1.00
|
19
|
Clinton
|
11.50
|
12.60
|
13.40
|
13.80
|
11.90
|
1.10
|
20
|
Columbia
|
11.30
|
11.90
|
12.00
|
11.90
|
10.20
|
1.00
|
21
|
Crawford
|
13.20
|
14.10
|
14.60
|
14.80
|
13.80
|
1.10
|
22
|
Cumberland
|
9.30
|
9.90
|
9.70
|
9.70
|
9.70
|
.80
|
23
|
Dauphin
|
10.20
|
11.80
|
11.70
|
11.70
|
11.60
|
.90
|
24
|
Delaware
|
9.10
|
10.00
|
10.90
|
10.20
|
10.60
|
.70
|
25
|
Elk
|
9.90
|
10.70
|
10.80
|
11.30
|
10.30
|
1.00
|
26
|
Erie
|
11.00
|
11.30
|
11.90
|
12.50
|
10.60
|
.80
|
27
|
Fayette
|
12.10
|
13.80
|
13.50
|
13.30
|
12.80
|
1.00
|
28
|
Forest
|
13.40
|
15.10
|
14.20
|
13.90
|
14.20
|
1.50
|
29
|
Franklin
|
12.80
|
13.80
|
14.00
|
14.60
|
13.20
|
1.10
|
30
|
Fulton
|
12.90
|
13.30
|
13.30
|
12.90
|
12.60
|
1.20
|
31
|
Greene
|
10.90
|
13.10
|
11.30
|
11.10
|
10.10
|
1.00
|
32
|
Huntingdon
|
12.80
|
15.30
|
12.30
|
12.70
|
11.50
|
1.00
|
33
|
Indiana
|
12.00
|
13.70
|
13.90
|
12.50
|
13.60
|
1.20
|
34
|
Jefferson
|
12.10
|
12.70
|
14.20
|
13.90
|
13.00
|
1.10
|
35
|
Juniata
|
13.60
|
14.30
|
15.60
|
14.40
|
14.10
|
1.30
|
36
|
Lackawanna
|
10.20
|
11.10
|
12.60
|
12.20
|
11.80
|
.90
|
37
|
Lancaster
|
13.20
|
13.90
|
14.40
|
14.20
|
14.50
|
.90
|
38
|
Lawrence
|
12.10
|
11.90
|
12.70
|
12.30
|
11.70
|
1.00
|
39
|
Lebanon
|
11.60
|
11.70
|
12.10
|
11.10
|
12.30
|
1.00
|
40
|
Lehigh
|
11.60
|
12.00
|
12.80
|
13.30
|
13.60
|
.90
|
41
|
Luzerne
|
10.40
|
11.40
|
12.90
|
12.50
|
12.70
|
.90
|
42
|
Lycoming
|
10.70
|
12.40
|
12.60
|
13.50
|
11.50
|
1.00
|
43
|
McKean
|
10.30
|
12.90
|
12.40
|
11.90
|
11.90
|
1.10
|
44
|
Mercer
|
10.70
|
11.90
|
12.10
|
12.00
|
10.70
|
.90
|
45
|
Mifflin
|
12.90
|
14.50
|
15.80
|
14.90
|
14.30
|
1.30
|
46
|
Monroe
|
12.20
|
12.50
|
13.40
|
14.40
|
13.50
|
1.00
|
47
|
Montgomery
|
7.30
|
8.00
|
8.10
|
8.40
|
8.00
|
.50
|
48
|
Montour
|
7.90
|
10.00
|
10.00
|
10.50
|
8.90
|
1.00
|
49
|
Northampton
|
9.80
|
11.40
|
11.10
|
11.10
|
11.20
|
.80
|
50
|
Northumberland
|
12.10
|
13.30
|
13.30
|
13.00
|
12.90
|
1.10
|
51
|
Perry
|
12.90
|
12.10
|
14.20
|
14.40
|
12.80
|
1.10
|
52
|
Philadelphia
|
13.80
|
16.30
|
16.50
|
16.30
|
15.80
|
.70
|
53
|
Pike
|
12.40
|
11.50
|
13.60
|
13.10
|
13.60
|
1.10
|
54
|
Potter
|
11.30
|
13.10
|
14.40
|
13.70
|
12.70
|
1.20
|
55
|
Schuylkill
|
10.70
|
12.10
|
12.00
|
12.30
|
12.30
|
.90
|
56
|
Snyder
|
12.40
|
15.10
|
14.00
|
14.90
|
13.30
|
1.20
|
57
|
Somerset
|
13.30
|
14.10
|
15.00
|
13.90
|
12.80
|
1.00
|
58
|
Sullivan
|
15.60
|
14.80
|
15.90
|
14.30
|
14.70
|
1.40
|
59
|
Susquehanna
|
12.70
|
13.40
|
14.80
|
14.00
|
14.40
|
1.20
|
60
|
Tioga
|
12.70
|
14.70
|
14.70
|
14.20
|
13.40
|
1.20
|
61
|
Union
|
13.70
|
16.70
|
13.70
|
12.30
|
12.00
|
1.20
|
62
|
Venango
|
10.90
|
12.40
|
12.90
|
12.30
|
12.10
|
1.00
|
63
|
Warren
|
10.00
|
11.90
|
12.40
|
12.70
|
12.10
|
1.10
|
64
|
Washington
|
10.70
|
10.10
|
10.70
|
10.70
|
9.60
|
.80
|
65
|
Wayne
|
13.20
|
13.20
|
14.80
|
13.50
|
12.90
|
1.10
|
66
|
Westmoreland
|
9.90
|
10.10
|
10.50
|
10.20
|
9.60
|
.70
|
67
|
Wyoming
|
11.00
|
11.30
|
11.80
|
11.90
|
1.10
|
|
68
|
York
|
10.30
|
10.20
|
11.10
|
11.70
|
10.90
|
.70
|
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