Major Differences Between States In Rates Of Uninsured

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There are huge state-by-state differences in the rates of people without health insurance, reveal new 2007 U.S. census data released Tuesday.

Massachusetts had the lowest rate (about 7.8 percent) of uninsured people under age 65, while the highest rates were in Texas (26.8 percent), New Mexico (26.7 percent) and Florida (24.2 percent), the Washington Post reported.

Other rates included 11.9 percent in Washington, D.C., 14.5 percent in Maryland, and 15 percent in Virginia.

The statistics include those with private and public insurance but don't reflect the impact of the recent recession, in which millions of people lost their jobs and health insurance.

The data suggest there will be big differences between states in the expected impact of the new health care law, which will require all Americans to buy health insurance by 2014 or be hit with a penalty tax, the Post reported.