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 2017, 7% of Erie County residents were uninsured. This was a lower percentage than Pennsylvania (9%) in 2016, the most recent year for which data were available. Erie's uninsured rate in 2015 (9%) was lower than both the state (10%) and national rates (11%).
Between 2011 and 2015, the county's uninsured rate declined by 5 percentage points. In that same time period, the state and national rates experienced larger declines falling by 6 and 10 percentage points respectively. Local 2017 data indicate that Erie County's rate has continued to decline.
In 2015, Erie County's uninsured rate (9%) was lower than Luzerne County, PA (11%). In 2014, Erie's rate (12%) was higher than Stark County, OH (9%).
State- and county-level data are from state health departments. All Erie County data from after 2015 are from the Erie County Department of Health. The data come from a survey designed to collect scientific data on health risks and behaviors.
Beginning in 2011, the Centers for Disease Control made two changes to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System on which this indicator is based. The survey now includes cell-phone users, and a new statistical method is used to weight responses. Therefore, data prior to 2011 is not displayed.
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 17% | 17% | 17% | 14% | 11% | 10% | |
| Broome County, NY | 12% | 11% | 10% | 7% | 6% | 5% | |
| Stark County, OH | 14% | 14% | 13% | 9% | 7% | 6% | |
| Pennsylvania | 12% | 12% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 7% | |
| Erie County, PA | 14% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 9% | 7% | |
| Luzerne County, PA | 12% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 8% | 6% |
| INDICATORS | TREND | ERIE COUNTY |
|---|---|
| Mortality Rate | Decreasing |
| Death from Heart Disease | Decreasing |
| Death from Cancer | Decreasing |
| Death from Stroke | Decreasing |
| Death from Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease |  Increasing |
| Hypertension Prevalance | Increasing |
| Diabetes Prevalence | Increasing |
| Asthma | Increasing |
| People Without Healthcare Coverage | Decreasing |
| People Without a Primary Care Physician | Increasing |
| Routine Checkups | Increasing |
| People Who Cannot Afford Healthcare | Decreasing |
| Adults Who are Overweight or Obese | Increasing |
| Children Who are Overweight or Obese | Increasing |
| Teens Who are Overweight or Obese | Increasing |
| Adult Smokers | Decreasing |
| Physically Inactive Adults | Decreasing |
| Binge Drinking |  Maintaining |
| Infant Mortality | Decreasing |
| Low Birth Weight Babies | Not Applicable |
| Live Births to Teen Mothers | Decreasing |
| Non Smoking During Pregnancy | Increasing |
| Early Prenatal Care | Increasing |
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
Community & Civic Engagement
Demographics
Economy
Health
Education
Environment