The pandemic has highlighted just how many Americans don't have access to health insurance. And, as it turns out, healthcare workers — frequently on the front lines and susceptible to COVID-19 exposure — are among the vulnerable groups lacking coverage
Nearly 600,000 U.S. healthcare workers are currently uninsured, according to a recent study by the financial site ValuePenguin.
What's more, Texas had the highest rate of uninsured healthcare workers of any state, according to ValuePenguin's analysis, which is based on data from the 2018 American Community Survey.
Nearly 18% of healthcare workers in the Lone Star State lack coverage. The two states trailing just behind, Oklahoma and Idaho, had rates of 13% and 12%, respectively.
Massachusetts and Iowa had the highest rate of insured healthcare workers at 98%.
The healthcare fields with the greatest proportion of uninsured individuals are registered nurses, nursing assistants and personal care aids — those who help individuals with daily activities such as bathing, eating and getting dressed.
Broken down by generation, Millennial healthcare workers make up the largest percentage of the uninsured at 41%. That group is often employed in lower-paying healthcare jobs, according to the study.
Most healthcare employees who work in hospitals are provided health insurance coverage through their employers, according to the analysis. However, home health workers and personal care aides are frequently unable to pay premiums for their group policies.
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