Health Insurance
The percent of uninsured King County adults has dropped by over half since health care reform was implemented.
In 2022, 5.0% of all King County residents were uninsured.
Since the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, more people have had health insurance due to provisions that expanded Medicaid eligibility and health insurance availability and options. Among King County residents, disparities by race/ethnicity, place of residence, and other factors have decreased. But they are still substantial, despite widespread and collective outreach efforts to enroll residents in insurance coverage.
Race/ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino (14.3%) and American Indian/Alaskan Native (15.7%) residents are more likely than the King County average to be uninsured. Among adults, rates of uninsurance are higher, and disparities are wider. Hispanic/Latino (19.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (19.1%), and Black (10.6%) adults are all more likely than County average to be uninsured. Barriers such as income, healthcare access, and immigration status may contribute to these differences.
By poverty: An estimated 10.1% of residents with income below the poverty level and 9.6% of residents with income between 100%-199% of the poverty level lack insurance, compared to 2.6% of residents with incomes at 400% poverty level or more.
By citizenship: At 14.3%, non-citizens are more likely to be uninsured compared to US-born residents (3.5%).
Cities/neighborhoods: Cities with the highest proportion of uninsured residents are Federal Way (9.8%), SeaTac (9.5%), Auburn (8.9%), Burien (8.4%), and Kent (8.2%).
Age: In King County, 6.6% of adults aged 19-64 do not have health insurance coverage compared to 2.7% of children, many of whom qualify for Apple Health for Kids.
Trends: Uninsurance fell from a high of 12.7% in 2010 to its current low of 5.0% in 2022 – a decrease of over 60%. Over this period, rates of uninsurance fell among residents of all races and ethnicities, poverty levels, and citizen statuses. Some of the largest decreases were among non-citizens (28.9% to 14.3%), those living below the poverty level (28.6% to 10.1%), and Hispanic/Latino residents (28.8% to 14.3%).
Additional Information & Resources:
Mobile - WAPlanfinder app
In-person assistance at enrollment centers or through brokers and navigators
By phone: Exchange Customer Support Center 1-855-923-4633 | TTY: 1-855-627-9604
Notes & Sources
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey
For 2018, “Adults” includes those ages 19-64, and “Children” includes those ages 0-18. Prior to 2017, “Adults” includes those ages 18-64, and “Children” includes those ages 0-17.
Due to the availability of Medicare, King County residents 65 years of age and older have high rates of coverage (>99% in 2017) and are not included in the visualizations, except in the aggregate.
Children’s access to health insurance: Washington passed the Cover All Kids law in 2007, which provided for comprehensive health insurance options for children in low and moderate income families. Following this, the King County Children’s Health Initiative, a local public/private partnership, worked to improve low-income families’ ability to enroll into health insurance and ensure that their children obtain appropriate health care. Since the Affordable Care Act was implemented in 2014, King County navigators continue to help children enroll into health insurance and access health care.
Who Are the Remaining Uninsured, and Why Do They Lack Coverage? | Commonwealth Fund
To learn more about the American Community Survey and view the data biography, click here.
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