by Matthew Yim, Oklahoma Watch
October 22, 2026
Yes.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 15.9 percent of adults aged 19 to 65 and 11.5 percent of Oklahoma’s overall population are uninsured as of 2024.
Both rates exceed their respective national numbers of 11.3 percent and 8.2 percent, and both show statistically significant increases from 2023. Oklahoma’s 2024 rates did not increase significantly.
The uninsured rate of children under age 19 in Oklahoma, which was also higher than the national average, increased significantly to 8.5 percent.
Of the 15 states with an overall uninsured rate higher than the national average, almost half had not expanded Medicaid eligibility; only North Carolina and Oklahoma, with its passage of SQ 802 in 2020, have done so recently.
Medicaid federal work requirements mandated by H.R. 1 take effect in January 2027 and are expected to reduce coverage by millions nationally.
Oklahoma Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims.
Sources
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