The percentage of people under 65 who are not covered by some form of health insurance, including public sources of health coverage such as Medicaid and Medicare.
Health insurance is critical to accessing medical care and financial stability. People without insurance may delay necessary care and forgo preventive care altogether, which can lead to more serious and costly medical problems in the future. A major illness or injury can financially ruin an uninsured family.
In 2018, 7% of Berks County residents under 65 were uninsured. This was the same as Pennsylvania as a whole, and slightly better than the national level, at 10%. Between 2008 and 2018, the county's uninsured rate peaked at 13% in 2011 and 2012 before improving to 7% in 2018. After lingering around 12% for several years, Pennsylvania's uninsured rate improved starting in 2014 to a low of 7% in 2018, while the U.S. rate similarly improved starting in 2014 from several years of around 17% uninsured to 10% under 65 uninsured in 2018.
Berks County's percentage of uninsured people under 65 places it in the middle of its comparison counties. Lebanon and Lehigh County have higher uninsured rates at 8% for both. Chester and Schuylkill Counties (both at 6%) and Montgomery County (5%) all have lower rates. Lancaster County (12%) has the highest percentage of uninsured people.
Figures are for individuals under 65. Data from before 2008 is not comparable due to a change in the national survey used to collect the information. Data for this indicator are released annually in March, with a 2-year lag.
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2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
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United States | 17% | 17% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 14% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
Pennsylvania | 11% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 7% |
Berks County | 10% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 7% |
Berks County Regions | |||||||||||
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Northeast | |||||||||||
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Southeast | |||||||||||
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Reading city | |||||||||||
Berks County Peers | |||||||||||
Chester County | 8% | 9% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% |
Lancaster County | 13% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 12% |
Lebanon County | 12% | 12% | 12% | 11% | 12% | 13% | 11% | 9% | 7% | 9% | 8% |
Lehigh County | 12% | 12% | 13% | 13% | 14% | 13% | 11% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 8% |
Montgomery County | 7% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Schuylkill County | 11% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 11% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 6% |
2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
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United States | 42,872,798 | 45,041,840 | 46,556,803 | 45,725,535 | 44,960,046 | 44,477,970 | 36,013,970 | 29,165,227 | 26,749,668 | 27,423,485 | 27,954,329 |
Pennsylvania | 1,080,141 | 1,203,026 | 1,254,674 | 1,249,474 | 1,210,961 | 1,204,620 | 1,047,882 | 786,343 | 691,654 | 674,739 | 681,152 |
Berks County | 34,933 | 41,867 | 42,425 | 43,331 | 44,603 | 41,715 | 39,628 | 29,080 | 25,190 | 25,410 | 25,252 |
Berks County Regions | |||||||||||
Central | |||||||||||
Northeast | |||||||||||
South | |||||||||||
Southeast | |||||||||||
West | |||||||||||
Reading city | |||||||||||
Berks County Peers | |||||||||||
Chester County | 33,234 | 36,462 | 40,315 | 40,278 | 37,413 | 37,375 | 36,810 | 27,417 | 27,100 | 27,019 | 25,458 |
Lancaster County | 55,341 | 58,909 | 62,229 | 62,012 | 63,301 | 60,906 | 58,557 | 48,546 | 47,029 | 52,836 | 52,927 |
Lebanon County | 12,201 | 12,397 | 13,095 | 12,113 | 13,387 | 13,628 | 12,097 | 9,522 | 8,168 | 9,594 | 9,193 |
Lehigh County | 32,570 | 34,321 | 37,253 | 38,986 | 39,892 | 38,112 | 33,629 | 25,413 | 21,100 | 22,518 | 22,986 |
Montgomery County | 47,682 | 52,591 | 53,988 | 55,679 | 52,916 | 55,017 | 43,479 | 35,795 | 31,145 | 31,530 | 31,085 |
Schuylkill County | 12,227 | 13,414 | 13,835 | 14,197 | 14,026 | 13,512 | 11,878 | 8,756 | 6,672 | 6,686 | 6,964 |
INDICATORS | TREND | BERKS COUNTY |
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Adults Who are Overweight or Obese | Not Applicable |
Students in K-6 Overweight or Obese | Not Applicable |
Students in 7-12 Overweight or Obese | Not Applicable |
Physically Inactive Adults | Not Applicable |
Health Status | Not Applicable |
People Enrolled in Medicaid Managed Care | ![]() |
People Without Health Insurance | ![]() |
Cancer Incidence | ![]() |
Prevalence of Mental Illness | ![]() |