Florida has yet another dubious distinction, ranking second worst among the states in percentage of working-age population (18 to 64) without health insurance, according to census data released Wednesday.
Best and worst places, by state
Percent without health insurance
50. Texas 31.6%
49. Florida 29.8%
48. Nevada 28.3%
1. Massachusetts 6.4%
2. Hawaii 10.7%
3. District of Columbia 10.7%
Tampa Bay area counties
Citrus 25%
Hernando 26.8%
Hillsborough 27.3%
Pasco 26.1%
Pinellas 25.7%
Medicaid, CHIP help
While the loss of private insurance also hurts children, many are being helped by the government's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program, according to a new study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In Florida:
• 33.4% of kids had public health insurance in 2010, compared with 24% in 2008.
• 53.1% were covered by private insurance in 2010, down from 58.6% in 2008.
• About 13.5% were uninsured in 2010, down from 17.4% in 2008.
• Nationally, 8.5 percent of children are uninsured — 5 percentage points better than in Florida.
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