Where in America do the fewest people have health insurance?

THE Supreme Court upheld much of Barack Obama’s health reform in June, but struck down an important part. Mr Obama wanted to expand Medicaid, the state-federal programme for the poor, to a broader swathe of Americans. Under current law, state Medicaid programmes only have to cover specific subsets, such as pregnant women. Mr Obama wanted states to have to cover everyone who is poor, defined as all those with incomes of up to 138% of the poverty level. But the Supreme Court made this expansion optional, so Mr Obama’s grand stride towards universal coverage is now a baby step. New numbers from America’s Census Bureau illustrate just how varied health coverage continues to be. At just 5.2%, Massachusetts has the country's lowest rate of uninsured. (When governor there, Mitt Romney passed a health reform similar to the one later passed by Mr Obama.) In Texas 26.3% are uninsured, the largest share in America. There is also substantial variation within states. Even in New York, which has a generous Medicaid programme, 9.2% of whites, 15.1% of blacks and 24.5% of Hispanics are uninsured. But the most dramatic contrast is seen within Texas. Over 41% of people in Hudspeth County, on the Mexican border, are uninsured. In Collin County, on the outskirts of Dallas, the figure drops below 17%. The governor of Texas has already said he will not expand his state’s Medicaid programme.