Highlights
#7: Uninsured Workers—Demographic
Characteristics, 1996
Estimates for U.S. Civilian
Noninstitutionalized Workers Ages 16-64
Introduction
For most Americans, health insurance
obtained through the workplace is the primary source of private
coverage. Data from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
(MEPS), conducted by the Agency for Health Care Research and
Quality (AHRQ), indicate that nearly two-thirds of Americans
under 65 years of age obtained job-related health insurance during
the first half of 1996 (data not shown). However, employment
does not necessarily lead to health insurance coverage for many
working Americans. Nearly a fifth (18 percent) of working Americans
ages 16-64 (approximately 23 million people) were uninsured during
the first half of 1996. These workers represented half (51 percent)
of the total uninsured population. MEPS data also indicate that
certain demographic characteristics such as age, race/ethnicity,
sex, and health status have significant effects on workers' health
insurance status.
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Briefly Stated
- Workers with the following demographic characteristics were most likely to be uninsured: young adults ages 19-24, Hispanic males, and those with poor or fair health status.
- More than a third of young adult workers ages 19-24 were uninsured. Workers age 35 and over had a lower risk of being uninsured than all workers in general.
- Black and Hispanic workers were much more likely than white workers to lack any type of health insurance coverage. Hispanic males were far more at risk than any other group, with 44 percent uninsured.
- Workers in poor or fair health were more likely to be uninsured than those in excellent or very good health.
- Women workers were more likely than male workers to be insured.
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Findings
Age plays a key role in
whether or not a worker has health insurance. Young adults ages
19-24 were more at risk of being uninsured than any other age
group (Figure 1). Although these
young workers represented only 12 percent of all workers under
age 65, they composed 23 percent of the uninsured working population (Figure
2). Workers age 35 and over had a lower risk of being uninsured.
Minority workers were substantially more likely
than white workers to lack health insurance. Approximately 38
percent of Hispanic workers were uninsured, compared to 26 percent
of black workers and 15 percent of white workers (data not shown).
As a result, minority workers were disproportionately represented
among the working uninsured. For example, Hispanic workers represented
9 percent of all workers but 19 percent of uninsured workers;
black workers represented 11 percent of all workers but 15 percent
of uninsured workers (Figure 3).
Working women within each racial/ethnic group--Hispanic,
black, and white--were less likely than their male counterparts
to be uninsured (Figure 4). Although
minority female workers were less likely than minority male workers
to be uninsured, they still were much more likely than employed
white females to be uninsured. Among female workers, 30 percent
of Hispanics and 22 percent of blacks were uninsured, compared
to 13 percent of whites.
About 28 percent of workers who were in fair
health and 25 percent of workers who were in poor health were
uninsured (Figure 5). However, lack
of insurance was much less common among workers in excellent
or very good health (16 percent for each group).
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About MEPS
The Medical Expenditure
Panel Survey (MEPS) collects nationally representative data on
health care use, expenditures, source of payment, and insurance
coverage for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population.
MEPS is cosponsored by the Agency for Health Care Research and
Quality (AHRQ) and the National Center for Health Statistics.
This Highlights summarizes data concerning the characteristics
of the working uninsured population in the United States during
the first half of 1996, as derived from the MEPS Household Component,
Round 1. For more information about MEPS, see the sources listed
on the back page.
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Figures
Figure 1.
Percent uninsured by age for workers ages 16-64: First half of
1996
- Young workers ages 19-24 were the age
group most likely to be uninsured. More than a third of them
(36 percent) lacked health insurance during the first half of
1996.
DATA
SOURCE: 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Household Component, Round 1.
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Figure 2. Age
comparison of all workers and uninsured workers ages 16-64: First
half of 1996
- Young workers ages 19-24 were disproportionately
represented among uninsured workers.
DATA
SOURCE: 1996
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, Round
1.
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Figure 3. Race/ethnicity
comparison of all workers and uninsured workers ages 16-64:
First half of 1996
- Hispanics and blacks were disproportionately
represented among the working uninsured.
DATA
SOURCE: 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Household Component, Round 1.
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Figure 4. Percent
uninsured by race/ethnicity and sex for workers ages 16-64:
First half of 1996
- Hispanic male workers were far more likely
to be uninsured than other workers.
DATA
SOURCE: 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Household Component, Round 1.
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Figure 5. Percent
uninsured by health status for workers ages 16-64: First
half of 1996
- Fair or poor health
status was directly associated with a lack of health care coverage.
DATA
SOURCE: 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Household Component, Round 1.
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References
For more information about MEPS, call the MEPS
information coordinator at AHRQ (301-594-1406) or visit the MEPS
section of the AHRQ Web site at: http://www.ahrq.gov/
For a detailed description of the MEPS survey
design, sample design, and methods used to minimize sources of
nonsampling error, see the following publications:
Cohen J. Design and methods of the Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. Rockville (MD):
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research; 1997. MEPS Methodology
Report No. 1. AHRQ Pub. No. 97-0026.
Cohen S. Sample design of the 1996 Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. Rockville (MD):
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research; 1997. MEPS Methodology
Report No. 2. AHRQ Pub. No. 97-0027.
The estimates in this Highlights are
based on the following, more detailed publication:
Monheit AC, Vistnes JP. Health insurance status
of workers and their families: 1996. Rockville (MD): Agency for
Health Care Policy and Research; 1997. MEPS Research Findings
No. 2. AHRQ Pub. No. 97-0065.
These publications are available from the
AHRQ Clearinghouse (800-358-9295) and on the AHRQ Web site.
MEPS Highlights
No. 7, AHRQ Pub. No. 99-0007, December 1998.
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Suggested Citation:
Highlights #7: Uninsured Workers—Demographic Characteristics,
1996. December 1998. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/data_files/publications/hl7/hl7.shtml
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