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Uninsured Rate Hits Record Low, Pittsburgh Beats The National Average

Gene Puskar
/
AP

The uninsured rate in the U.S. is at a record low and studies show Pittsburgh is beating the average.

According to research from the personal finance website WalletHub, Pittsburgh ranks 8th in the nation among the 64 largest cities, with a 6.42 percent uninsured rate. That compares to a national average of 8.6 percent.

University of Pittsburgh health economist Lindsay Sabik said having health insurance doesn’t always lead to access to affordable health care.

Source: WalletHub
“There have been concerns about plans with high out of pocket costs or narrow provider networks that might not provide the same access as more comprehensive and generous plans,” Sabik said.

She said it does bode well for the region’s health care system.

“Health care providers don’t need to provide as much uncompensated care, they have more predictable revenue streams, and because health care providers are a large segment of the economy, that alone is a benefit to the community,” Sabik said.

The same WalletHub study ranks Pennsylvania as the 14th lowest state in the nation with a rate of 6.36 percent.

Among children in Pittsburgh, the uninsured rate was 2.02 percent, for white residents it was 4.53 percent and for black residents it was 9.56 percent.