According to census data released Tuesday, the number of uninsured rose by 2 million from 2017 to a total of 27.5 million in 2018 or 8.5%
This is the first time a massive rise in the uninsured has occurred since 2009, before the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
Officials believe the increase is because of a drop in coverage provided by public programs such as Medicaid. The number of uninsured children also increased from 2017-2018 by .06%.
Areas with the most uninsured are the same areas that refused to expand Medicaid coverage, such as the South, which saw a rise of 1.2 % of uninsured kids.
2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls commented on the latest findings:
