The statewide rate of uninsured Tennesseans has risen approximately 10 percent in the past year, leaving about 43,000 additional state residents without any form of health insurance, according to a new study from the University of Tennessee.

The rate of uninsured residents has now risen two years in a row after about a decade of overall descent. Despite this rise, the uninsured rate remains dramatically lower than it was before the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare, took effect in 2014.

Overall, the uninsured rate is now 6.7 percent – or approximately 451,000 Tennesseans.

“Some people might look at the total population of Tennessee and think an additional 40,000 people is not that high of a number, but it’s more about the trends. What are the trends that are taking place?” said LeAnn Luna, a UT professor of accounting who led the study. “Well, rates have been relatively steady and low, but now, as the rate creeps up, that’s where the concern is.”

The new study, published by UT’s Boyd Center for Business and Economic Researched, is based on an annual phone survey of 5,000 households.

During that survey, participants overwhelming said they remained uninsured because they could not afford coverage, but did not qualify for TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program. In many cases, children in these households were eligible for TennCare coverage, but their parents were not, Luna said.

The study, published barely a week before the election, could provide more fodder over the highly politicized debate on whether or not to expand TennCare. Expansion, which is generally supported by Democrats but opposed by Republicans, would raise the poverty threshold to qualify for TennCare, allowing more Tennesseans to be eligible for government-funded coverage. Republicans generally support an alternative plan based on federal block grants, which they argue would have the same effect for lower costs.

Luna said UT's Boyd Center does not take a position on Tenncare expansion.

"It’s really up to our state legislators to decide whether or not they want the Medicaid expansion," Luna said. "Hopefully, a report like this informs the debate and causes it to resurface again. Ultimately it’s their job to what’s best for the state of Tennessee.”

TENNCARE:As other Republican states pass Medicaid expansion, a question remains: Why not Tennessee?

Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.