Virginia Health Care Foundation | Profile of Virginia’s Uninsured

Profile of Virginia’s Uninsured

The Virginia Health Care Foundation’s Profile of Virginia’s Uninsured provides a detailed picture of the Commonwealth’s uninsured, using 2019 US Census data. The Profile includes detailed tables showing the uninsured at income levels relevant to the Medicaid/FAMIS programs and the Marketplace across regions of the Commonwealth, including tables and maps profiling key subpopulations.

The 2019 ACS data were collected continually throughout the year, so these data reflect a picture of an incremental increase over the course of the year, rather than a cumulative total at the end of 2019. This is the same approach used in previous coverage Profiles.

9.3% of Virginians under age 65 were without health insurance – 648,000 uninsured Virginians.
11.2% of Virginians ages 19 to 64 years of age had no health insurance — 559,000 non-elderly adult Virginians.
4.5% of Virginia children (0- 18) had no health insurance (88,000).
About a third (32.4%, 210,000) of all uninsured Virginians under age 65 lived in households below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
6.4% of Virginia children were eligible for Medicaid/FAMIS (46,000). These 46,000 children represented more than 50% of all uninsured children in Virginia. Many (43%) Medicaid/FAMIS-eligible children lived in very-low income households, ≤100% FPL.
Most uninsured adults, ages 19 – 64, in households earning ≤138% FPL did not have children (77%; 190,000)
Almost half of uninsured Virginia children lived in households earning ≤205% FPL are teens (46%), ages 13 – 18.
Most uninsured Virginians were part of working families (82.3%) — more than half (54%) with at least one full time worker.
Uninsured Virginians under age 65 represented every population in Virginia: 41.4% are white non-Hispanic, 20.3% are African American/Black, 29.5% are Hispanic, 5.9% are Asian/Pacific Islander and 3% identified themselves as “other” or as a member of multiple racial groups.
Since 2010, there has been a 317,000 drop in the number of uninsured adults, ages 19 – 64, of all incomes.
Since 2010, there has been a 34,000 decrease in uninsured children living in households earning ≤205% FPL.

For a thorough examination of the demographic characteristics of Virginia’s uninsured, see:

A summary of key findings (PowerPoint)
The report (Adobe)
The accompanying tables (Adobe)
The accompanying maps (PowerPoint)

Note: Please cite the Foundation and Urban Institute when using data from the Profile of Virginia’s Uninsured. When using PowerPoint slides from the Profile, please use the complete slide using notes and citations from the Urban Institute, clearly indicating that the data were collected continually throughout the year, reflect a picture of an incremental increase over the course of the year, rather than a cumulative total at the end of 2019. This is the same approach used in previous coverage Profiles.

What is the impact of being uninsured?

Health suffers severely: Uninsured Americans have lower cancer survival rates, a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with diseases at later stages (including cancer), a far lower rate of receiving important screening tests, and are more likely to have preventable hospitalizations. (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, 2019)
Do not receive the care they need: Uninsured adults in Virginia are much less likely than insured adults to receive care or to have a usual source for health care, and are more likely to have unmet health needs. (Source: Profile of Virginia’s Uninsured)
Medical needs are unmet: More than 40% of uninsured adult Virginians had an unmet need for care in the last year because of the financial difficulty of paying for health care (44.4%).
Financial Implications Can Be Significant: More than half of the uninsured in the U.S. report difficulties paying their medical bills and about 50% of unpaid medical bills of the uninsured go into collection. (Source: National Bureau of Economic Research). And, most uninsured patients do not get free or reduced cost care (73%). (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, 2019).
Children who are uninsured fare more poorly: Children who are uninsured do not have a usual source of health care and are less likely to graduate from high school. Health coverage provides children access to needed care and promotes improved health, education, and financial success over the long-term.

The Profile of Virginia’s Uninsured was prepared for the Virginia Health Care Foundation by the Urban Institute and was completed in March 2021. For more information on the study, methodology or results, contact VHCF at 804/828-5804.