New census data being released is expected to offer a new look at health insurance coverage in North Carolina as the reform debate in Washington heats up again.

The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday will release annual population and community data that contains information about health coverage across the United States. The census data contains information on income, poverty and health insurance coverage last year.

Data specific to North Carolina is also due to be released.

A state health research agency reported in March that recession-fueled layoffs gave North Carolina the country's highest growth rate of people without health insurance.

The North Carolina Institute of Medicine estimated that as many as 1.8 million North Carolina residents under 65 were without health insurance.