The increase follows years of steady declines in the number of uninsured and comes amid Trump administration efforts to curtail the Obama-era health law. The 27.5 million people without health coverage represents 8.5% of Americans, up from 7.9%, or 25.6 million people, in 2017, according to a report Tuesday from the Census Bureau.
The rise will give fresh ammunition to Democratic presidential candidates who have made expanding coverage a central campaign plank. Republicans are likely to blame the climb in the nation’s uninsured on higher premiums under the ACA.