Nearly half a million teachers lack health insurance or appropriate healthcare coverage as some return to in-person instruction during the COVID pandemic, according to a new survey.
The 500,000 teachers represent about 4% of the country’s teaching population, according to the. The reportalso found:
- Among the nearly 500,000uninsured teachers, those in the south were most at risk.
- Alaska had the highest uninsured rate at over 11%, closely followed by Texas (7%), Idaho (7%), Florida (7%), and Mississippi (6%).
- Elementary school and middle school teachers are the least insured, at 34.6%.
- From 2017 to 2018, the number of uninsured elementary school teachers rose by more than 30%.
- Teaching assistants are the next-largest pool of uninsured at more than 29%.
- Nearly 75,000 baby boomer teachers have no health insurance coverage.
- Special education teachers (99%) andsecondary school teachers (94%) were the most insured.
The analysis also found the public teachers in higher grades were more likely to be insured.
And while the number of teaching assistants with coverage has declined, more special education aids are now insured.
The survey also broke down the number of uninsured by age:
- Millennials: 48%
- Generation X: 27%.
- Baby boomers: 15%
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