New Census Bureau health insurance figures show that the number of U.S. residents in employer-sponsored plans fell 0.9% between 2009 and 2010, to about 169 million.
The number fell of people in private employer-sponsored plans was down from about 171 million the year before, and the share of U.S. residents covered by private employer-sponsored plans fell to 55.3% in 2010, down from 56.1% the year before.
The percentage of the 306 million U.S. residents who had no health coverage at all increased to 16.1%, from 16.3%.
The number of U.S. residents with private, “direct purchase coverage” – individual coverage, family coverage and coverage bought through associations – increased 3.6%, to about 30 million, and the number with military or civilian government coverage increased 1.9%, to 95 million.