The Dallas-Fort Worth area has the lowest rate of children’s health insurance coverage among the 25 largest metro areas in the United States, according to new census data released Thursday.
Across the area, 11.7% of children are uninsured, continuing a multiyear slide that reflects statewide trends.
Adults in Dallas and its surrounding cities fare only slightly better. Their uninsured rate, 17.6%, is surpassed only by the Houston area. San Antonio is third, giving Texas the dubious honor of containing the three metro areas with the worst insured rates in the nation.
Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, called the rise in uninsured concerning and said it would require the county to direct more resources toward indigent care. Without insurance, more and more families seek care from county-subsidized clinics and emergency rooms, where they are entitled to care regardless of whether they can pay.
Source: DFW’s Health Insurance Rate for Children Ranks Worst in Nation Among Major Cities / Dallas Observer