Research Findings
#1: Health Insurance Status of the Civilian Noninstitutionalized
Population: 1996
Jessica P. Vistnes, Ph.D., and Alan C. Monheit,
Ph.D.
Introduction
The health insurance status of the U.S.
population, especially the size and composition of the uninsured
population, has become an issue of perennial public policy
concern for several reasons. First, health insurance is viewed
as essential to ensure that individuals obtain timely access
to medical care and protection against the risk of expensive
and unanticipated medical events. Compared to people without
health care coverage, insured individuals are more likely
to have a regular source of medical care, to spend less out
of pocket on health services, and to experience different
treatment patterns, quality, and continuity in their health
care (Lefkowitz and Monheit, 1991; U.S. Congress, Office of
Technology Assessment, 1992).
Second, concern over the population's health
insurance status reflects a variety of equity and efficiency
considerations. These include the magnitude and appropriate
mix of private and public sector responsibility for financing
health care, the impact of health insurance on the efficient
use of health care, and the manner in which health insurance
affects the distribution of health care among the general
population and across groups of specific policy interest.
Third, timely and reliable estimates of
the population's health insurance status are essential to
evaluate the costs and expected impact of public policy interventions
to expand coverage or to alter the manner in which private
and public insurance is financed. Identification of how individual
and household demographic characteristics, health status,
and economic circumstances are associated with the population's
health insurance status is of critical importance in developing
efficient and targeted policy interventions. This is especially
relevant given the current emphasis on incremental health
care reform that is focused on particular health care markets
and population groups.
Finally, comparisons of the characteristics
of insured and uninsured populations over time provide information
on whether greater equity has been achieved in the ability
of specific population groups to obtain health insurance or
whether serious gaps remain. In this regard, estimates of
the population's health insurance status from the 1996 Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) provide a critical baseline
to help evaluate the health insurance implications of two
recent legislative initiatives: the 1996 Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Public Law 104-191,
and welfare reform under the 1996 Personal Responsibility
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, Public Law 104-193.
A primary goal of HIPAA is to reduce the impact of preexisting
health conditions on the continuity of health insurance during
employment transitions. Under welfare reform, mandated work
requirements and time limitations governing the receipt of
public assistance may have consequences for a recipient's
health insurance status.
This report presents preliminary estimates
of the number and characteristics of people with private and
public health insurance at any time during the first half
of 1996, on average. Particular emphasis is directed toward
estimating the size of the population that was uninsured throughout
the first half of 1996 and identifying groups especially at
risk of lacking health insurance.
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Overview
During the first half of 1996, on average,
83 percent of all Americans in the civilian noninstitutionalized
population had some type of private or public health insurance
coverage (Table 1). Roughly 68 percent of Americans obtained
health insurance from private sources, with 60.7 percent of
all persons covered by employment-related health insurance.
Another 15.2 percent obtained public sources of coverage, primarily
from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The remaining 17.0
percent of Americans, 44.8 million persons, were without health
insurance throughout the first half of 1996. Among the non-elderly
population, 68.7 percent were covered by private insurance (64.1
percent by employment-based insurance) and 12.1 percent by public
insurance. Almost a fifth of the non-elderly population (19.2
percent), an estimated 44.5 million persons, were uninsured.
Table 2 gives more detailed information on the non-elderly population.
The data in Tables 1-3 provide estimates of the population's
health insurance status according to selected demographic characteristics,
perceived health status, employment status, and residential
location. Table A in the Technical Appendix provides estimates
of the number of persons by health insurance status. Some of
the key findings and relationships revealed by these data are
discussed below. Age
MEPS data reveal that, in general, children are more likely
than adults to have health insurance coverage. The main findings
among age groups are described below.
Children
There has been considerable interest in the health insurance
status of children. This interest stems from the role health
care coverage plays in ensuring that children obtain the medical
care appropriate to their specific stage of development. In
addition, expansions of the Medicaid program during the late
1980s and early 1990s have focused attention on whether the
role of the public and private sectors in financing health care
for low-income children has been altered. Specifically, expansions
of the Medicaid program through the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Acts of 1987-1990 and other legislation eliminated categorical
eligibility for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
as a requirement for Medicaid enrollment and raised the age
and income ceilings under which children could receive Medicaid.
For a discussion of the impact of these expansions on the enrollment
of children in employment-based coverage, see Cutler and Gruber
(1996) and Dubay and Kenny (1996).
MEPS data indicate that public health insurance played an important
role in reducing the risk that a child would be uninsured during
the first half of 1996: One in four children under age 4, nearly
the same proportion of children ages 4-6, and one in five children
ages 7-12 obtained public coverage, primarily through Medicaid.
As a result, children under age 18 were less likely to be uninsured
than were adults in general. Despite this finding, nearly 11
million children lacked health care coverage.
Adults
Young adults ages 19-24 were most likely to lack health insurance.
For example, over a third of young adults (37.8 percent) were
uninsured, more than twice the rate at which all Americans lacked
coverage. Young adults ages 19-24 also had the lowest rate of
private health insurance coverage among the non-elderly population.
On the other hand, 6 out of 10 elderly Americans (61.5 percent)
were covered by private health insurance. Nearly 4 out of 10
elderly Americans (37.6 percent) held only public coverage (Medicare
alone or in conjunction with Medicaid).
Employment Status
Since most private health insurance in the United States is
provided through the workplace, employment status is an important
indicator of access to private health insurance. MEPS data reveal
the following for the non-elderly population ( Table 2):
- Over three-quarters (78.3 percent) of workers were covered
by private health insurance, compared to close to half (49.8
percent) of individuals who were not employed.
- Individuals who were not employed were more likely than
those who were employed to be covered by public insurance
(23.8 and 3.3 percent, respectively).
- Workers were less likely than individuals who were not
employed to be uninsured (18.4 and 26.4 percent, respectively).
Race/Ethnicity
MEPS data indicate that significant disparities
exist in the rate at which racial and ethnic minorities are
covered by private and public health insurance compared to
white Americans. For example:
- Less than half
of all Hispanic and black Americans (44.0 and 48.6 percent,
respectively) were covered by private health insurance, compared
to three-quarters of whites (75.3 percent). Over a third of
Hispanics (33.5 percent) and over a fifth of blacks (22.9
percent) were uninsured. In contrast, just over one-tenth
of white Americans (13.1 percent) were uninsured.
- Among all racial/ethnic groups, Hispanic
males were the most likely to be uninsured; 37.2 percent
lacked coverage.
- Hispanic and black Americans were
more likely than white Americans to be covered by public health
insurance (22.5 percent and 28.4 percent, respectively, compared
to 11.6 percent).
Marital Status
Married individuals were more likely than others to have private
and employment-related health insurance (Table 1). Of those
who were not married at the time of the survey:
- Persons who were widowed were the least likely to be uninsured
because of their higher rate of coverage from private, nonemployment-related
sources (23.8 percent) and public programs (38.4 percent).
- Almost a third of Americans who never married or were separated
were uninsured (29.1 percent and 28.4 percent, respectively).
- Almost a quarter of all divorced persons (23.8 percent)
were uninsured.
Residential Location
The type of health care coverage obtained by Americans and
the likelihood of being uninsured also varied by region and
whether they lived in a metropolitan statistical area (MSA).
MEPS data show that:
Persons residing in the South and West were less likely than
residents of other regions to have employment-related health
insurance (58.3 percent and 55.6 percent in the South and West,
respectively, compared to 64.3 percent and 66.3 percent of residents
in the Northeast and Midwest). Nearly one out of five persons
in the South and West were uninsured (19.9 percent and 18.9
percent, respectively) compared to just under 14 percent in
both the Northeast and Midwest.
Persons living outside MSAs were less likely than those residing
within MSAs to be covered by employment-related health insurance
(53.7 percent vs. 62.5 percent). They also were more likely
to be uninsured (19.8 percent vs. 16.3 percent).
Health Status
There is considerable public policy interest in determining
whether persons with health problems are able to obtain health
insurance and, if so, the source of such coverage. MEPS respondents
were asked to rate their health and family members' health as
excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor. The data in Table
3 reveal the relationships described below between health status
and insurance coverage.
Non-elderly Persons
More than one in five non-elderly Americans in good health
(22.8 percent), fair health (25.1 percent), or poor health (21.4
percent) were uninsured throughout the first half of 1996. Among
the non-elderly:
Persons in fair or poor health were less likely than those
in better health to have private health insurance. Only 35.1
percent of those in poor health and 45.9 percent of those in
fair health had any employment-related coverage.
Public insurance helped to reduce the health-related disparities
in private coverage. Nearly 25 percent of persons in fair health
and almost 40 percent of persons in poor health obtained public
coverage.
Elderly Persons
More than 4 in 10 elderly persons in fair or poor health were
covered by insurance from public sources only (Medicare or both
Medicare and Medicaid). Elderly Americans in fair or poor health
also were less likely to have employment-related coverage than
those in excellent or very good health. However, the percent
of elderly Americans covered by privately purchased nonemployment-based
coverage did not decline as health status worsened.
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Young
Adults:
Those Least Likely To Be Covered
Among all age groups in the non-elderly
population, persons ages 19-24 were most at risk of lacking
private and employment-related health insurance and of being
uninsured (Table 1). In part, this reflects the fact that young
adults who were not full-time students were likely to lose their
eligibility for dependent coverage on their parents' health
plan. In addition, since many young adults have limited work
experience or transitory employment, they frequently obtain
low-wage jobs that do not provide health insurance. Finally,
young adults may not value health insurance, since they tend
to be in relatively good health, expect to incur small health
care expenditures, and are less likely than older workers to
have dependents who require medical care. In this section, selected
characteristics of this age cohort are examined ( Table 4) to
identify demographic characteristics associated with young adults'
health insurance status during the first half of 1996.
Student Status
Over two-thirds (69.0 percent) of young adults who were full-time
students had private health insurance, compared to only half
(50.7 percent) of young adults who were part-time students and
less than half (45.2 percent) of young adults who were not in
school. The latter two groups were nearly twice as likely as
full-time students to be uninsured. Race/Ethnicity and Gender
When racial/ethnic background is considered, the health insurance
status of young adults reveals striking disparities. For example,
over half of all Hispanic and black young adults were uninsured
(52.8 percent and 50.2 percent, respectively), compared to 31.1
percent of white young adults.
Gender also plays an important role in health insurance status.
Although young adult minority men and women had similarly low
rates of private health insurance, women were far more likely
than men to obtain public insurance. Overall, the disparity
in health insurance coverage by racial/ethnic groups was more
pronounced for men than for women. MEPS data show the following:
- Among young adults, 6 out of 10 minority males were without
coverage (58.5 percent of Hispanic males and 61.1 percent of
black males), compared to 3 out of 10 white males (33.5 percent).
Among young adult women, 45.9 percent of Hispanics and 41.7
percent of blacks were uninsured, compared to 28.9 percent of
whites.
- Young adult women obtained public insurance at more than
twice the rate of young adult males: 12.4 percent of women,
compared
to only 5.0 percent of men. As a result, young adult men
were more likely than women to be uninsured: 41.9 percent
to 33.9
percent.
- Among young adults, Hispanic women were more than four times
as likely as Hispanic men to have public coverage, and black
women were more than five times as likely as black men.
As a result, minority young adult women were less likely than
men
to be uninsured.
Other Factors
Health status and residential location were associated with
the insurance status of young adults:
- Half of the 1.3 million young adults in fair or poor health
were uninsured, compared to just over a third of those in
excellent or very good health.
- Among young adults, those in the South were most at risk
of being uninsured, whereas in the general U.S. population,
persons
residing in the South and West were most likely to be uninsured
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Previous sections of this report have described the health
insurance status of Americans by focusing on demographic, health
status, and geographic characteristics associated with the likelihood
that particular groups obtained private or public health insurance
or were more at risk of being uninsured. To put this discussion
in perspective, data displayed in (Table 5) characterize the
uninsured population by considering the representation of specific
groups in the general population of non-elderly Americans relative
to their representation among the uninsured population. By examining
the composition of the uninsured in this way, one can assess
whether certain population groups are disproportionately represented
among the uninsured. Such information can be useful in formulating
targeted policy interventions on behalf of persons without health
insurance.
Age
Young adults ages 19-24 composed less than a tenth of the non-elderly
population but nearly a fifth of the uninsured population. Among
all age groups, young adults also displayed the greatest risk
of being uninsured.
Race/Ethnicity
Racial and ethnic minorities were more at risk of lacking health
insurance than were white Americans. As a result, minority representation
among the uninsured exceeded their representation among the
general population. For example:
- Although Hispanics represented only 11.6 percent of the
non-elderly U.S. population, they accounted for 21.2 percent
of the uninsured
population.
- Hispanic males represented only 5.9 percent of all non-elderly
Americans but were the racial/ethnic group most likely to
be uninsured, comprising 12.0 percent of the uninsured population.
- Although 7 out of 10 non-elderly Americans were white, whites
accounted for less than 6 out of 10 uninsured persons.
- When the uninsured are categorized by race/ethnicity and
sex, white males represent the largest proportion of the uninsured
population.
Other Factors
Persons with specific residential locations and marital status
were also disproportionately represented among the uninsured:
- Persons residing in the South represented about a third
(34.8 percent) of all non-elderly Americans but more than
40 percent
of all uninsured Americans.
- Persons who never married accounted for over a fifth of
the non-elderly population but over a third of the uninsured
population.
Finally, more than 1 out of 10 uninsured persons (11.5 percent
of the uninsured population) were in fair or poor health. These
individuals are of particular policy concern because of the
importance of health insurance in assuring timely access to
needed health care services.
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Conclusions
Preliminary
estimates from the 1996 MEPS reveal that, during the first half
of 1996, 67.9 percent of Americans received health insurance
from private sources, 15.2 percent obtained coverage through
public programs, and 17.0 percent of the population (44.8 million
persons) lacked any health care coverage. Nearly 61 percent
(60.7 percent) of the U.S. population was covered by employment-related
insurance, so that coverage from the workplace represented 89.4
percent of all private insurance. Among the non-elderly population,
nearly one in five persons was uninsured. The tabulations presented in this report indicate that the
health insurance status of the U.S. population is strongly associated
with specific demographic characteristics, health status, and
employment status. Thus, important disparities in health care
coverage exist for particular groups. Among the groups especially
at risk of lacking health care coverage are young adults ages
19-24 and members of racial and ethnic minorities (especially
Hispanic males). Disparities in rates of insurance coverage
also exist by health status, with non-elderly persons in good
or fair health being the most likely to be uninsured. Because
of their high rate of public coverage, persons in poor health
were no more likely to be uninsured than other persons. Public
health insurance also continues to play an important role in
insuring children, black Americans, and Hispanic Americans.
Subsequent releases of MEPS data will characterize dynamic
aspects of health insurance status, including annual and 2-year
estimates of the population's health insurance coverage, the
length of uninsured spells, and changes in the type of coverage
held. In this way the 1996 MEPS will provide a baseline for
timely and continuous monitoring of the Nation's health insurance
status.
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References
Cohen JW, Monheit AC, Beauregard KM, et
al. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey: a national health
information resource. Inquiry 1996;33:373-89.
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.
Cutler D, Gruber J. Does public insurance
crowd out private insurance? Quarterly Journal of Economics
1996;CXI(2):391-430.
Dubay LC, Kenny GM. The effects of Medicaid
expansion on insurance coverage of children. The Future of
Children 1996;6(1):152-61.
Lefkowitz D, Monheit AC. Health insurance,
use of health services, and health care expenditures. Rockville
(MD): Agency for Health Care Policy and Research; 1991. National
Medical Expenditure Survey Research Findings 14. AHRQ
Pub. No. 92-0017.
U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment.
Does health insurance make a difference? Background paper.
Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office; 1992. Report
No.: OTA-BP-H-99.
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Technical Appendix
The data in this report were obtained in the first round of interviews for the Household Component (HC) of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). MEPS is cosponsored by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The MEPS HC is a nationally representative survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population that collects medical expenditure data at both the person and household levels. The focus of the MEPS HC is to collect detailed data on demographic characteristics, health conditions, health status, use of medical care services, charges and payments, access to care, satisfaction with care, health insurance coverage, income, and employment. In other components of MEPS, data are collected on residents of licensed or certified nursing homes and the supply side of the health insurance market.
The sample for the MEPS HC was selected from respondents to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which was conducted by NCHS. NHIS provides a nationally representative sample of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population and reflects an oversampling of Hispanics and blacks. The MEPS HC collects data through an overlapping panel design. In this design, data are collected through a precontact interview that is followed by a series of six rounds of interviews over 2-1/2 years. Two calendar years of medical expenditure and utilization data are collected from each household and captured using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). This series of data collection rounds is launched again each subsequent year on a new sample of households to provide overlapping panels of survey data which, when combined with other ongoing panels, will provide continuous and current estimates of health care expenditures. The reference period for Round 1 of the MEPS HC was from January 1, 1996, to the date of the first interview. Interviews were conducted from March to July 1996.
Derivation of Insurance Status Information
The household respondent was asked if, between January 1, 1996, and the time of the Round 1 interview, anyone in the family was covered by any of the sources of public and private health insurance coverage discussed in the following paragraphs. For this report, Medicare and CHAMPUS/CHAMPVA coverage were measured at the time of the Round 1 interview. (CHAMPUS and CHAMPVA are the Civilian Health and Medical Programs for the Uniformed Services and Veterans' Affairs.) All other sources of insurance were measured for any time in the Round 1 reference period. Persons counted as uninsured were uninsured throughout the Round 1 reference period. ^top
Public Coverage
For this report, individuals were considered to have public coverage only if they met both of the following criteria:
- They were not covered by private insurance.
- They were covered by one of the public programs discussed below.
Medicare
Medicare is a federally financed health insurance plan for the elderly, persons receiving Social Security disability payments, and most persons with end-stage renal disease. Medicare Part A, which provides hospital insurance, is automatically given to those who are eligible for Social Security. Medicare Part B provides supplementary medical insurance that pays for medical expenses and may be purchased for a monthly premium.
CHAMPUS/CHAMPVA
CHAMPUS covers retired members of the Uniformed Services and the spouses and children of active-duty, retired, and deceased members. Spouses and children of veterans who died from a service-connected disability, or who are permanently disabled and are not eligible for CHAMPUS or Medicare, are covered by CHAMPVA. In this report, CHAMPUS or CHAMPVA coverage is considered to be public coverage.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a means-tested government program jointly financed by Federal and State funds that provides health care to those who are eligible. Program eligibility criteria vary significantly by State, but the program is designed to provide health coverage to families and individuals who are unable to afford necessary medical care.
Other Public Hospital/Physician Coverage
Respondents who did not report Medicaid coverage were asked if they were covered by any other public hospital/physician coverage. These questions were asked in an attempt to identify Medicaid recipients who might not have recognized their coverage as Medicaid. In this report, all coverage reported in this manner is considered public coverage.
Private Health Insurance
Private health insurance was defined for this report as insurance that provides coverage for hospital and physician care. Insurance that provides coverage for a single service only, such as dental or vision coverage, was not counted. In addition, private insurance was classified as either employment related or nonemployment related. Employment-related coverage includes private health insurance obtained through an employer, union, or self-employed business. Insurance also was classified as employment related when the policyholder resided outside the reporting unit. Individuals were classified as having nonemployment-related insurance if they did not have employment-related coverage but were covered by private hospital/physician insurance obtained from another source, such as directly from an insurance company or a health maintenance organization (HMO) or through a group or association.
Uninsured
The uninsured were defined as persons not covered by Medicare, CHAMPUS/CHAMPVA, Medicaid, other public hospital/physician programs, or private hospital/physician insurance throughout the entire Round 1 reference period. Individuals covered only by noncomprehensive State-specific programs (e.g., Maryland Kidney Disease Program, Colorado Child Health Plan) or private single-service plans (e.g., coverage for dental or vision care only, coverage for accidents or specific diseases) were not considered to be insured.
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Health Insurance Edits
The Round 1 health insurance data were edited as described below. Minimal editing was performed on the Medicare and Medicaid variables; all other coverage types are unedited and unimputed.
Medicare
Medicare coverage was edited for persons age 65 and over but not for persons under age 65. Persons age 65 and over were assigned Medicare coverage if they met one of the following criteria:
- They answered "yes" to a follow-up question on whether they had received Social Security benefits.
- They were covered by Medicaid, other public hospital/physician coverage, or Medigap coverage.
- Their spouse was covered by Medicare.
Medicaid
A small number of cases reporting Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) coverage (questions included in the Round 1 interview for editing purposes) were assigned Medicaid coverage. In addition, the Medicaid variable was edited to include persons who paid nothing for their other public hospital/physician insurance when such coverage was through a Medicaid HMO or reported to include some other managed care characteristics. Since this report does not distinguish among sources of public insurance, no further edits were performed using the other public hospital/physician coverage variables. Other public hospital/physician coverage was included, however, when considering whether an individual was covered only by public insurance.
Private Health Insurance
Individuals were considered to be covered by private insurance if the insurance provided coverage for hospital/physician care. Medigap plans were included. Individuals covered by single-service plans only (e.g., dental, vision, or drug plans) were not considered to be privately insured. Sources of insurance with missing information regarding the type of coverage were assumed to contain hospital/physician coverage.
As more information from other parts and subsequent rounds of MEPS becomes available, it will be used to correct missing or inconsistent information. In particular, private coverage variables will be edited in terms of the reporting of private insurance as a source of payment for medical expenses. Finally, it should be noted that these data were generally reported by a single household respondent, who may not have been the most knowledgeable source for other family members. The employers and insurance companies of household respondents are being contacted in a followup survey as part of the MEPS data collection effort designed to verify and supplement the information provided by the household respondents.
Population Characteristics
Place of Residence
Individuals were identified as residing either inside or outside a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) as designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which applied 1990 standards using population counts from the 1990 U.S. census. An MSA is a large population nucleus combined with adjacent communities that have a high degree of economic and social integration within the nucleus. Each MSA has one or more central counties containing the area's main population concentration. In New England, metropolitan areas consist of cities and towns rather than whole counties. Regions of residence are in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of the Census definition.
Race/Ethnicity
Classification by race and ethnicity was based on information reported for each household member. Respondents were asked if their race was best described as American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, black, white, or other. They were also asked if their main national origin or ancestry was Puerto Rican; Cuban; Mexican, Mexicano, Mexican American, or Chicano; other Latin American; or other Spanish. All persons who claimed main national origin or ancestry in one of these Hispanic groups, regardless of racial background, were classified as Hispanic. Since the Hispanic grouping can include black Hispanic, white Hispanic, and other Hispanic, the race categories of black, white, and other do not include Hispanic.
Employment Status
Persons were considered to be employed if they were age 16 and over, had a job for pay, owned a business, or worked without pay in a family business at the time of the Round 1 interview.
Sample Design and Accuracy of Estimates
The sample selected for the 1996 MEPS, a subsample of the 1995 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), was designed to produce national estimates that are representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States. Round 1 data were obtained for approximately 9,400 households in MEPS, resulting in a survey response rate of 78 percent. This figure reflects participation in both NHIS and MEPS.
The statistics presented in this report are affected by both sampling error and sources of nonsampling error, which include nonresponse bias, respondent reporting errors, interviewer effects, and data processing misspecifications. For a detailed description of the MEPS survey design, the adopted sample design, and methods used to minimize sources of nonsampling error, see Cohen (1997) and Cohen, Monheit, Beauregard, et al. (1996). The MEPS person-level estimation weights include nonresponse adjustments and poststratification adjustments to population estimates derived from the March 1996 Current Population Survey (CPS) based on cross-classifications by region, age, race/ethnicity, and sex.
Tests of statistical significance were used to determine whether the differences between populations exist at specified levels of confidence or whether they occurred by chance. Differences were tested using Z-scores having asymptotic normal properties at the 0.05 level of significance. Unless otherwise noted, only statistical differences between estimates are discussed in the text.
Rounding
Estimates presented in the tables were rounded to the nearest 0.1 percent. Standard errors, presented in Tables B-F, were rounded to the nearest 0.01. Population estimates in Tables 1- 5 and Table A were rounded to the nearest thousand. Therefore, some of the estimates presented in the tables for population totals of subgroups will not add exactly to the overall estimated population total.
Comparisons with Other Data Sources
Because of methodological differences, caution should be used when comparing these data with data from other sources. For example, CPS measures persons who are uninsured for a full year; NHIS measures persons who lack insurance at a given point in time--the month before the interview. CPS is conducted annually, and NHIS collects insurance data on a continuous basis each year. In addition, unlike MEPS, CPS counts as insured military veterans whose source of health care is the Department of Veterans' Affairs. CPS also counts children of adults covered by Medicaid as insured. For these preliminary estimates, MEPS did not consider these children insured unless their families reported them as such.
Tables
| Table 1. Health insurance coverage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population: Percent distribution by type of coverage and selected population characteristics, United States, first half of 1996 |
| Population characteristic |
Total population in thousands |
Private |
Public only |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
Non- employment- related |
| Percent distribution |
| Totala |
263,516 |
67.9 |
60.7 |
7.1 |
15.2 |
17.0 |
| Total under age 65a |
231,676 |
68.7 |
64.1 |
4.6 |
12.1 |
19.2 |
| Age in years |
| Under 4 |
15,577 |
60.6 |
57.8 |
2.8 |
25.6 |
13.8 |
| 4-6 |
12,716 |
63.0 |
59.7 |
3.4 |
23.7 |
13.3 |
| 7-12 |
24,092 |
64.1 |
60.3 |
3.8 |
20.4 |
15.5 |
| 13-17 |
19,036 |
66.8 |
62.4 |
4.4 |
15.3 |
17.9 |
| Total under 18 |
71,421 |
63.9 |
60.2 |
3.7 |
20.8 |
15.4 |
| 18 |
3,445 |
61.5 |
57.4 |
4.1 |
0.1 |
28.4 |
| 19-24 |
21,643 |
53.4 |
47.3 |
6.2 |
8.7 |
37.8 |
| 25-29 |
18,703 |
64.8 |
60.1 |
4.7 |
8.4 |
26.8 |
| 30-34 |
21,383 |
72.8 |
69.8 |
3.0 |
7.9 |
19.3 |
| 35-54 |
74,423 |
76.4 |
71.9 |
4.5 |
7.3 |
16.4 |
| 55-64 |
20,658 |
74.6 |
66.6 |
8.0 |
10.7 |
14.7 |
| 65 and over |
31,839 |
61.5 |
36.0 |
25.5 |
37.6 |
0.9 |
| Employment statusb |
| Employed |
128,619 |
78.0 |
72.4 |
5.6 |
4.2 |
17.8 |
| Not employed |
69,810 |
53.9 |
40.8 |
13.1 |
29.6 |
16.4 |
| Sex |
| Male |
128,383 |
67.9 |
61.3 |
6.6 |
13.4 |
18.6 |
| Female |
135,133 |
67.8 |
60.2 |
7.6 |
16.8 |
15.4 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
28,384 |
44.0 |
41.1 |
2.9 |
22.5 |
33.5 |
| Total black |
32,975 |
48.6 |
46.0 |
2.7 |
28.4 |
22.9 |
| Total white |
190,235 |
75.3 |
66.7 |
8.6 |
11.6 |
13.1 |
| Total other |
11,922 |
59.2 |
53.5 |
5.6 |
18.0 |
22.9 |
| Hispanic male |
14,327 |
43.1 |
39.8 |
3.3 |
19.7 |
37.2 |
| Black male |
15,356 |
50.0 |
47.2 |
2.7 |
25.1 |
25.0 |
| White male |
92,647 |
75.3 |
67.6 |
7.7 |
10.3 |
14.4 |
| Hispanic female |
14,057 |
44.9 |
42.5 |
2.4 |
25.5 |
29.6 |
| Black female |
17,618 |
47.5 |
44.8 |
2.7 |
31.3 |
21.2 |
| White female |
97,588 |
75.3 |
65.9 |
9.4 |
12.8 |
11.9 |
| Marital statusb |
| Married |
109,022 |
79.1 |
71.0 |
8.1 |
9.1 |
11.8 |
| Widowed |
13,890 |
55.1 |
31.3 |
23.8 |
38.4 |
6.5 |
| Divorced |
19,087 |
58.4 |
52.6 |
5.8 |
17.8 |
23.8 |
| Separated |
4,629 |
43.0 |
40.9 |
2.1 |
28.6 |
28.4 |
| Never married |
52,645 |
59.2 |
53.3 |
5.9 |
11.7 |
29.1 |
| Metropolitan statistical area (MSA) |
| MSA |
210,640 |
69.1 |
62.5 |
6.5 |
14.7 |
16.3 |
| Non-MSA |
52,876 |
63.1 |
53.7 |
9.4 |
17.1 |
19.8 |
| Census region |
| Northeast |
51,464 |
70.3 |
64.3 |
6.0 |
16.0 |
13.7 |
| Midwest |
61,828 |
73.3 |
66.3 |
7.0 |
13.1 |
13.6 |
| South |
91,855 |
65.3 |
58.3 |
7.1 |
14.8 |
19.9 |
| West |
58,369 |
63.9 |
55.6 |
8.3 |
17.3 |
18.9 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown employment status and marital status.
- bFor individuals age 16 and over.
Note: Percents may not add to 100 due to rounding
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Research and Policy: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1996 (Round 1).
^top
| Table 2. Health insurance coverage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population under age 65: Percent distribution by type of coverage and selected population characteristics, United States, first half of 1996 |
| Population characteristic |
Total population in thousands |
Private |
Public only |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
Non- employment- related |
| Percent distribution |
| Totala |
231,676 |
68.7 |
64.1 |
4.6 |
12.1 |
19.2 |
| Employment statusb |
| Employed |
124,218 |
78.3 |
73.6 |
4.7 |
3.3 |
18.4 |
| Not employed |
42,469 |
49.8 |
44.2 |
5.6 |
23.8 |
26.4 |
| Sex |
| Male |
115,104 |
68.3 |
63.6 |
4.7 |
11.0 |
20.7 |
| Female |
116,572 |
69.2 |
64.7 |
4.5 |
13.1 |
17.7 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
26,898 |
44.6 |
42.1 |
2.5 |
20.3 |
35.1 |
| Total black |
30,297 |
49.9 |
47.9 |
2.1 |
25.2 |
24.8 |
| Total white |
163,378 |
76.7 |
71.4 |
5.3 |
8.1 |
15.2 |
| Total other |
11,104 |
61.4 |
55.9 |
5.5 |
14.2 |
24.3 |
| Hispanic male |
13,671 |
43.7 |
40.6 |
3.1 |
17.4 |
38.9 |
| Black male |
14,297 |
50.9 |
48.6 |
2.3 |
22.5 |
26.6 |
| White male |
81,443 |
75.9 |
70.7 |
5.2 |
7.7 |
16.3 |
| Hispanic female |
13,227 |
45.6 |
43.6 |
1.9 |
23.2 |
31.2 |
| Black female |
16,000 |
49.0 |
47.2 |
1.8 |
27.7 |
23.2 |
| White female |
81,934 |
77.4 |
72.0 |
5.4 |
8.5 |
14.0 |
| Marital statusb |
| Married |
91,323 |
80.9 |
76.2 |
4.7 |
5.2 |
13.9 |
| Widowed |
3,412 |
58.7 |
50.3 |
8.4 |
17.2 |
24.1 |
| Divorced |
16,952 |
60.6 |
56.2 |
4.4 |
12.9 |
26.6 |
| Separated |
4,291 |
45.0 |
43.4 |
1.6 |
24.5 |
30.5 |
| Never married |
51,495 |
59.3 |
53.6 |
5.7 |
11.0 |
29.8 |
| Metropolitan statistical area (MSA) |
| MSA |
186,152 |
70.2 |
65.9 |
4.3 |
11.5 |
18.3 |
| Non-MSA |
45,524 |
62.7 |
57.0 |
5.7 |
14.3 |
23.0 |
| Census region |
| Northeast |
44,555 |
72.1 |
68.4 |
3.7 |
12.3 |
15.6 |
| Midwest |
54,045 |
74.3 |
70.3 |
4.0 |
10.2 |
15.5 |
| South |
80,707 |
65.7 |
61.2 |
4.5 |
11.7 |
22.6 |
| West |
52,370 |
64.8 |
58.7 |
6.0 |
14.4 |
20.9 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown employment status and marital status.
- bFor individuals age 16 and over.
Note: Percents may not add to 100 due to rounding.
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1996 (Round 1).
^top
| Table 3. Health insurance coverage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population: Percent distribution by type of coverage and perceived health status, United States, first half 1996 |
| Population characteristic |
Total population in thousands |
Private |
Public only |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
Non- employment- related |
| Percent distribution |
| Total under age 65a |
231,676 |
68.7 |
64.1
|
4.6
|
12.1 |
19.2 |
| Total age 65 and overa |
31,839 |
61.5 |
36.0 |
25.5 |
37.6 |
0.9 |
| Perceived health status, under age 65 |
| Excellent |
89,770 |
74.4 |
69.3 |
5.1 |
8.2 |
17.4 |
| Very good |
70,584 |
73.1 |
68.3 |
4.8 |
10.1 |
16.9 |
| Good |
49,509 |
62.3 |
58.8 |
3.6 |
14.9 |
22.8 |
| Fair |
15,400 |
50.1 |
45.9 |
4.2 |
24.9 |
25.1 |
| Poor |
5,588 |
38.8 |
35.1 |
3.7 |
39.8 |
21.4 |
| Perceived health status, age 65 and over |
| Excellent |
5,832 |
66.4 |
40.8 |
25.6 |
32.6 |
1.0 |
| Very good |
7,940 |
67.8 |
40.9 |
26.9 |
31.4 |
0.8 |
| Good |
9,131 |
60.9 |
35.6 |
25.3 |
38.1 |
1.1 |
| Fair |
5,921 |
55.4 |
30.1 |
25.4 |
44.1 |
0.5 |
| Poor |
2,638 |
52.0 |
28.2 |
23.8 |
47.6 |
0.3 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown perceived health status.
Note: Percents may not add to 100 due to rounding.
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1996 (Round 1).
^top
| Table 4. Health insurance coverage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population ages 19-24: Percent distribution by type of coverage and selected population characteristics, United States, first half of 1996 |
| Population characteristic |
Total population in thousands |
Private |
Public only |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment-related |
| Percent distribution |
| Totala |
21,643 |
53.4 |
47.3 |
8.7 |
37.8 |
| Employment status |
| Employed |
14,728 |
59.2 |
53.1 |
5.2 |
35.5 |
| Not employed |
6,520 |
42.7 |
36.8 |
17.2 |
40.1 |
| Sex |
| Male |
10,661 |
53.2 |
46.8 |
5.0 |
41.9 |
| Female |
10,982 |
53.7 |
47.7 |
12.4 |
33.9 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
2,854 |
36.5 |
33.6 |
10.6 |
52.8 |
| Total black |
3,577 |
34.9 |
32.1 |
14.9 |
50.2 |
| Total white |
13,662 |
62.5 |
54.8 |
6.3 |
31.1 |
| Total other |
1,550 |
47.0 |
41.3 |
12.3 |
40.7 |
| Hispanic male |
1,568 |
37.4 |
33.0 |
4.1 |
58.5 |
| Black male |
1,559 |
34.6 |
30.1 |
4.4 |
61.1 |
| White male |
6,618 |
61.8 |
54.5 |
4.6 |
33.5 |
| Hispanic female |
1,287 |
35.5 |
34.4 |
18.5 |
45.9 |
| Black female |
2,018 |
35.2 |
33.7 |
23.1 |
41.7 |
| White female |
7,044 |
63.2 |
55.1 |
7.9 |
28.9 |
| Perceived health status |
| Excellent |
8,429 |
59.7 |
53.1 |
6.1 |
34.2 |
| Very good |
6,754 |
56.6 |
48.5 |
7.8 |
35.5 |
| Good |
4,927 |
46.1 |
42.4 |
12.1 |
41.7 |
| Fair or poor |
1,335 |
32.3 |
29.1 |
17.5 |
50.2 |
| Census region |
| Northeast |
3,806 |
51.2 |
44.3 |
9.4 |
39.4 |
| Midwest |
5,323 |
63.7 |
58.2 |
7.3 |
29.0 |
| South |
7,344 |
46.5 |
42.7 |
8.3 |
45.2 |
| West |
5,170 |
54.2 |
44.7 |
10.4 |
35.4 |
| Student statusb |
| Full-time |
5,914 |
69.0 |
57.0 |
8.7 |
22.4 |
| Part-time |
1,578 |
50.7 |
45.7 |
9.5 |
39.9 |
| Not a student |
10,447 |
45.2 |
41.6 |
9.2 |
45.6 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown employment status and perceived health status.
- bFor individuals ages 19-23 years.
Note: Percents may not add to 100 due to rounding.
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1996 (Round 1).
^top
| Table 5. Total population and uninsured persons under age 65: Percent distribution of population and percent uninsured by selected characteristics, United States, first half of 1996 |
| Population characteristic |
Total population in thousands |
Percent distribution of population |
Percent uninsured |
Percent distribution of uninsured population |
| Totala |
231,676 |
100.0 |
19.2 |
100.0 |
| Age in years |
| Under 4 |
15,577 |
6.7 |
13.8 |
4.8 |
| 4-6 |
12,716 |
5.5 |
13.3 |
3.8 |
| 7-12 |
24,092 |
10.4 |
15.5 |
8.4 |
| 13-17 |
19,036 |
8.2 |
17.9 |
7.7 |
| 18 |
3,445 |
1.5 |
28.4 |
2.2 |
| 19-24 |
21,643 |
9.3 |
37.8 |
18.4 |
| 25-29 |
18,703 |
8.1 |
26.8 |
11.3 |
| 30-34 |
21,383 |
9.2 |
19.3 |
9.3 |
| 35-54 |
74,423 |
32.1 |
16.4 |
27.4 |
| 55-64 |
20,658 |
8.9 |
14.7 |
6.8 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
26,898 |
11.6 |
35.1 |
21.2 |
| Total black |
30,297 |
13.1 |
24.8 |
16.9 |
| Total white |
163,378 |
70.5 |
15.2 |
55.8 |
| Total other |
11,104 |
4.8 |
24.3 |
6.1 |
| Hispanic male |
13,671 |
5.9 |
38.9 |
12.0 |
| Black male |
14,297 |
6.2 |
26.6 |
8.6 |
| White male |
81,443 |
35.2 |
16.3 |
29.9 |
| Hispanic female |
13,227 |
5.7 |
31.2 |
9.3 |
| Black female |
16,000 |
6.9 |
23.2 |
8.4 |
| White female |
81,934 |
35.4 |
14.0 |
25.8 |
| Marital statusb |
| Married |
91,323 |
39.5 |
13.9 |
28.8 |
| Widowed |
3,412 |
1.5 |
24.1 |
1.9 |
| Divorced |
16,952 |
7.3 |
26.6 |
10.2 |
| Separated |
4,291 |
1.9 |
30.5 |
3.0 |
| Never married |
51,495 |
22.3 |
29.8 |
34.7 |
| Census region |
| Northeast |
44,555 |
19.2 |
15.6 |
15.7 |
| Midwest |
54,045 |
23.3 |
15.5 |
18.8 |
| South |
80,707 |
34.8 |
22.6 |
41.0 |
| West |
52,370 |
22.6 |
20.9 |
24.6 |
| Perceived health status |
| Excellent |
89,770 |
38.9 |
17.4 |
35.6 |
| Very good |
70,584 |
30.6 |
16.9 |
27.1 |
| Good |
49,509 |
21.4 |
22.8 |
25.7 |
| Fair |
15,400 |
6.7 |
25.1 |
8.8 |
| Poor |
5,588 |
2.4 |
21.4 |
2.7 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown perceived health status and marital status.
- bFor individuals age 16 and over. Excludes unknown marital status. As a result, percents do not sum to 100.
Note: Percent distributions may not add to 100 due to rounding.
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1996 (Round 1).
^top
| Table A. Health
insurance coverage of the civilian noninstitutionalized
population: Population estimates by type of coverage and selected
population characteristics, United States, first half of 1996 |
| Population
characteristic |
Total population |
Any coverage |
Any private coverage |
Public only |
Uninsured |
| Number
in thousands |
| Totala |
263,516 |
218,760 |
178,820 |
39,939 |
44,756 |
| Total under
age 65a |
231,676 |
187,191 |
159,235 |
27,957 |
44,485 |
| Age
in years |
| Under 4 |
15,577 |
13,430 |
9,435 |
3,996 |
2,147 |
| 4-6 |
12,716 |
11,029 |
8,016 |
3,013 |
1,687 |
| 7-12 |
24,092 |
20,358 |
15,436 |
4,922 |
3,734 |
| 13-17 |
19,036 |
15,627 |
12,723 |
2,904 |
3,409 |
| Total under
18 |
71,421 |
60,444 |
45,610 |
14,835 |
10,977 |
| 18 |
3,445 |
2,468 |
2,121 |
-- |
-- |
| 19-24 |
21,643 |
13,454 |
11,563 |
1,891 |
8,189 |
| 25-29 |
18,703 |
13,692 |
12,128 |
1,564 |
5,011 |
| 30-34 |
21,383 |
17,257 |
15,570 |
1,687 |
4,126 |
| 35-54 |
74,423 |
62,252 |
56,834 |
5,418 |
12,171 |
| 55-64 |
20,658 |
17,625 |
15,410 |
2,215 |
3,033 |
| 65 and over |
31,839 |
31,568 |
19,586 |
11,983 |
-- |
| Employment
statusb |
| Employed |
128,619 |
105,766 |
100,343 |
5,424 |
22,853 |
| Not employed |
69,810 |
58,340 |
37,657 |
20,684 |
11,470 |
| Sex |
| Male |
128,383 |
104,440 |
87,217 |
17,223 |
23,943 |
| Female |
135,133 |
114,319 |
91,603 |
22,716 |
20,813 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
28,384 |
18,886 |
12,492 |
6,394 |
9,498 |
| Total black |
32,975 |
25,407 |
16,041 |
9,366 |
7,567 |
| Total white |
190,235 |
165,272 |
143,234 |
22,038 |
24,962 |
| Total other |
11,922 |
9,194 |
7,053 |
2,141 |
2,729 |
| Census
region |
| Northeast |
51,464 |
44,427 |
36,191 |
8,236 |
7,037 |
| Midwest |
61,828 |
53,400 |
45,328 |
8,072 |
8,428 |
| South |
91,855 |
73,574 |
60,012 |
13,562 |
18,281 |
| West |
58,369 |
47,359 |
37,289 |
10,069 |
11,010 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown
employment status.
- bFor individuals age 16 and
over.
- Sample
size too small to produce reliable estimates.
Source: Center for Financing,
Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component,
1996 (Round 1).
^top
Corresponds to Table 1
| Table
B. Health insurance coverage
of the civilian noninstitutionalized population: Standard
errors by type of coverage and selected population
characteristics, United States, first half of 1996 |
| Population
characteristic |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
Nonemployment-
related |
| Standard
error |
| Totala |
0.71 |
0.72 |
0.29 |
0.54 |
0.47 |
| Total under
age 65a |
0.78 |
0.79 |
0.27 |
0.58 |
0.52 |
| Age
in years |
| Under 4 |
1.82 |
1.80 |
0.59 |
1.63 |
1.17 |
| 4-6 |
1.83 |
1.87 |
0.63 |
1.61 |
1.24 |
| 7-12 |
1.60 |
1.66 |
0.67 |
1.38 |
1.10 |
| 13-17 |
1.51 |
1.58 |
0.66 |
1.22 |
1.15 |
| Total under
18 |
1.20 |
1.23 |
0.42 |
1.01 |
0.77 |
| 18 |
3.22 |
3.33 |
1.10 |
2.04 |
2.98 |
| 19-24 |
1.50 |
1.51 |
0.74 |
0.92 |
1.44 |
| 25-29 |
1.56 |
1.56 |
0.63 |
0.89 |
1.39 |
| 30-34 |
1.38 |
1.37 |
0.43 |
0.82 |
1.08 |
| 35-54 |
0.82 |
0.86 |
0.35 |
0.48 |
0.61 |
| 55-64 |
1.27 |
1.50 |
0.79 |
0.98 |
0.88 |
| 65 and over |
1.24 |
1.25 |
1.12 |
1.22 |
0.23 |
| Employment
statusb |
| Employed |
0.65 |
0.68 |
0.30 |
0.32 |
0.53 |
| Not employed |
0.86 |
0.85 |
0.57 |
0.79 |
0.60 |
| Sex |
| Male |
0.76 |
0.77 |
0.34 |
0.59 |
0.57 |
| Female |
0.76 |
0.78 |
0.31 |
0.57 |
0.48 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
1.86 |
1.81 |
0.40 |
1.20 |
1.56 |
| Total black |
1.78 |
1.84 |
0.45 |
1.66 |
1.28 |
| Total white |
0.79 |
0.84 |
0.37 |
0.56 |
0.50 |
| Total other |
3.62 |
3.51 |
1.28 |
3.44 |
2.24 |
| Hispanic
male |
1.94 |
1.88 |
0.55 |
1.18 |
1.71 |
| Black male |
2.12 |
2.15 |
0.52 |
1.91 |
1.61 |
| White male |
0.87 |
0.93 |
0.44 |
0.62 |
0.61 |
| Hispanic
female |
2.07 |
2.01 |
0.39 |
1.54 |
1.68 |
| Black female |
1.98 |
2.07 |
0.51 |
1.84 |
1.61 |
| White female |
0.84 |
0.89 |
0.39 |
0.60 |
0.51 |
| Marital
status |
| Married |
0.66 |
0.80 |
0.43 |
0.47 |
0.50 |
| Widowed |
1.62 |
1.37 |
1.32 |
1.56 |
0.72 |
| Divorced |
1.53 |
1.55 |
0.63 |
1.13 |
1.22 |
| Separated |
2.83 |
2.81 |
*0.76 |
2.36 |
2.77 |
| Never married |
1.06 |
1.02 |
0.43 |
0.75 |
0.91 |
| Metropolitan
statistical area (MSA) |
| MSA |
0.83 |
0.82 |
0.31 |
0.61 |
0.53 |
| Non-MSA |
1.57 |
1.63 |
0.71 |
1.22 |
1.10 |
| Census
region |
| Northeast |
1.36 |
1.42 |
0.52 |
0.90 |
0.87 |
| Midwest |
1.59 |
1.67 |
0.68 |
1.13 |
0.98 |
| South |
1.22 |
1.18 |
0.45 |
0.92 |
0.84 |
| West |
1.45 |
1.46 |
0.67 |
1.20 |
0.99 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown
employment and marital status.
- bFor individuals age 16 and
over.
- *Relative standard error is greater than
or equal to 30 percent.
Source: Center for Financing,
Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component,
1996 (Round 1).
^top
Corresponds to Table 2
| Table
C. Health insurance coverage
of the civilian noninstitutionalized population under
age 65: Standard errors by type of coverage and selected
population characteristics, United States, first half
of 1996 |
| Population
characteristic |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
Nonemployment-
related |
| Standard
error |
| Totala |
0.78 |
0.79 |
0.27 |
0.58 |
0.52 |
| Employment
statusb |
| Employed |
0.66 |
0.67 |
0.28 |
0.31 |
0.54 |
| Not employed |
1.08 |
1.04 |
0.41 |
1.01 |
0.88 |
| Sex |
| Male |
0.81 |
0.82 |
0.34 |
0.61 |
0.62 |
| Female |
0.86 |
0.88 |
0.26 |
0.63 |
0.55 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
1.97 |
1.92 |
0.39 |
1.24 |
1.59 |
| Total black |
1.92 |
1.94 |
0.41 |
1.74 |
1.34 |
| Total white |
0.87 |
0.92 |
0.34 |
0.59 |
0.57 |
| Total other |
3.67 |
3.59 |
1.32 |
3.49 |
2.43 |
| Hispanic
male |
2.02 |
1.98 |
0.55 |
1.20 |
1.72 |
| Black male |
2.24 |
2.20 |
0.48 |
1.97 |
1.70 |
| White male |
0.94 |
1.01 |
0.45 |
0.63 |
0.68 |
| Hispanic
female |
2.20 |
2.13 |
0.36 |
1.58 |
1.75 |
| Black female |
2.14 |
2.21 |
0.46 |
1.90 |
1.71 |
| White female |
0.94 |
0.99 |
0.33 |
0.65 |
0.60 |
| Marital
statusb |
| Married |
0.72 |
0.82 |
0.34 |
0.40 |
0.58 |
| Widowed |
3.13 |
3.18 |
1.78 |
2.03 |
2.55 |
| Divorced |
1.59 |
1.59 |
0.59 |
1.06 |
1.34 |
| Separated |
2.95 |
2.94 |
*0.68 |
2.31 |
2.97 |
| Never married |
1.07 |
1.02 |
0.43 |
0.75 |
0.92 |
| Metropolitan
statistical area (MSA) |
| MSA |
0.91 |
0.91 |
0.30 |
0.66 |
0.58 |
| Non-MSA |
1.72 |
1.78 |
0.60 |
1.31 |
1.30 |
| Census
region |
| Northeast |
1.53 |
1.55 |
0.40 |
0.98 |
0.99 |
| Midwest |
1.70 |
1.74 |
0.63 |
1.17 |
1.11 |
| South |
1.37 |
1.31 |
0.37 |
1.02 |
0.91 |
| West |
1.54 |
1.66 |
0.73 |
1.25 |
1.09 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown
employment and marital status.
- bFor individuals age 16 and
over.
- *Relative standard error is greater than
or equal to 30 percent.
Source: Center for Financing,
Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component,
1996 (Round 1).
^top
Corresponds to Table 3
| Table
D. Health insurance coverage
of the civilian noninstitutionalized population: Standard
errors by type of coverage and perceived health status,
United States, first half of 1996 |
| Population
characteristic |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total
private |
Employment-
related |
Nonemployment-
related |
| Standard
error |
| Total under
age 65a |
0.78 |
0.79 |
0.27 |
0.58 |
0.52 |
| Total age
65 and overa |
1.24 |
1.25 |
1.12 |
1.22 |
0.23 |
| Perceived
health status, under age 65 |
| Excellent |
0.89 |
0.93 |
0.46 |
0.55 |
0.74 |
| Very good |
0.89 |
0.91 |
0.39 |
0.68 |
0.67 |
| Good |
1.21 |
1.21 |
0.33 |
0.94 |
0.83 |
| Fair |
1.61 |
1.65 |
0.60 |
1.44 |
1.35 |
| Poor |
2.54 |
2.63 |
1.02 |
2.47 |
2.32 |
| Perceived
health status, age 65 and over |
| Excellent |
2.61 |
2.56 |
2.59 |
2.56 |
*0.58 |
| Very good |
2.08 |
2.40 |
2.09 |
2.06 |
*0.43 |
| Good |
2.06 |
1.99 |
1.92 |
2.01 |
*0.36 |
| Fair |
2.66 |
2.53 |
2.22 |
2.67 |
*0.30 |
| Poor |
3.85 |
3.41 |
2.92 |
3.85 |
*0.35 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown
perceived health status.
- *Relative standard error is greater than
or equal to 30 percent.
Source: Center for Financing,
Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component,
1996 (Round 1).
^top
Corresponds to Table 4
| Table
E. Health insurance coverage of the civilian
noninstitutionalized population ages 19-24: Standard errors
by type of coverage and selected population characteristics,
United States, first half of 1996 |
| Population
characteristic |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total
private |
Employment-
related |
| Standard
error |
Totala |
1.49 |
1.50 |
0.92 |
1.44 |
| Employment
status |
| Employed |
1.82 |
1.81 |
0.90 |
1.78 |
| Not employed |
2.39 |
2.47 |
1.74 |
2.26 |
| Sex |
| Male |
1.95 |
2.01 |
0.86 |
1.89 |
| Female |
1.95 |
1.93 |
1.31 |
1.91 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
2.82 |
2.87 |
1.54 |
2.77 |
| Total black |
3.63 |
3.45 |
2.94 |
4.02 |
| Total white |
1.80 |
1.94 |
0.87 |
1.74 |
| Total other |
6.06 |
6.68 |
*4.69 |
5.90 |
| Hispanic
male |
3.28 |
3.23 |
*1.43 |
3.36 |
| Black male |
5.33 |
4.92 |
*1.78 |
4.93 |
| White male |
2.43 |
2.61 |
1.04 |
2.34 |
| Hispanic
female |
4.06 |
4.07 |
2.87 |
4.12 |
| Black female |
4.73 |
4.81 |
4.26 |
5.58 |
| White female |
2.21 |
2.39 |
1.28 |
2.12 |
| Perceived
health status |
| Excellent |
2.39 |
2.43 |
0.97 |
2.31 |
| Very good |
2.31 |
2.33 |
1.21 |
2.26 |
| Good |
2.71 |
2.54 |
1.95 |
2.55 |
| Fair or poor |
5.22 |
5.17 |
3.87 |
5.54 |
| Census
region |
| Northeast |
2.87 |
2.93 |
1.88 |
2.87 |
| Midwest |
2.66 |
2.89 |
1.53 |
2.41 |
| South |
2.71 |
2.48 |
1.72 |
2.82 |
| West |
3.30 |
3.39 |
1.89 |
2.77 |
| Student
statusb |
| Full-time |
2.38 |
2.92 |
1.65 |
2.13 |
| Part-time |
5.86 |
5.77 |
2.78 |
4.86 |
| Not a student |
2.01 |
1.98 |
1.27 |
2.07 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown
employment status and perceived health status.
- bFor individuals ages 19-23
years.
- *Relative standard error is greater than
or equal to 30 percent.
Source: Center for Financing,
Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component,
1996 (Round 1).
^top
Corresponds to Table 5
| Table
F. Total population and uninsured
persons under age 65: Standard errors by selected
population characteristics, United States, first half
of 1996 |
| Population
characteristic |
Percent
distribution of population |
Percent
uninsured |
Percent
distribution of uninsured population |
| Standard
error |
| Totala |
-- |
0.52 |
-- |
| Age
in years |
| Under 4 |
0.22 |
1.17 |
0.40 |
| 4-6 |
0.18 |
1.24 |
0.34 |
| 7-12 |
0.26 |
1.10 |
0.57 |
| 13-17 |
0.21 |
1.15 |
0.44 |
| 18 |
0.10 |
2.98 |
0.27 |
| 19-24 |
0.27 |
1.44 |
0.82 |
| 25-29 |
0.28 |
1.39 |
0.57 |
| 30-34 |
0.25 |
1.08 |
0.50 |
| 35-54 |
0.38 |
0.61 |
0.77 |
| 55-64 |
0.28 |
0.88 |
0.41 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
0.57 |
1.59 |
1.45 |
| Total black |
0.70 |
1.34 |
1.33 |
| Total white |
0.86 |
0.57 |
1.73 |
| Total other |
0.40 |
2.43 |
0.73 |
| Hispanic
male |
0.31 |
1.72 |
0.87 |
| Black male |
0.34 |
1.70 |
0.74 |
| White male |
0.49 |
0.68 |
1.11 |
| Hispanic
female |
0.28 |
1.75 |
0.69 |
| Black female |
0.40 |
1.71 |
0.80 |
| White female |
0.50 |
0.60 |
1.00 |
| Marital
statusb |
| Married |
0.46 |
0.58 |
0.86 |
| Widowed |
0.09 |
2.55 |
0.23 |
| Divorced |
0.25 |
1.34 |
0.55 |
| Separated |
0.12 |
2.97 |
0.34 |
| Never married |
0.40 |
0.92 |
1.01 |
| Census
region |
| Northeast |
0.79 |
0.99 |
1.11 |
| Midwest |
0.97 |
1.11 |
1.45 |
| South |
1.26 |
0.91 |
1.87 |
| West |
0.81 |
1.09 |
1.29 |
| Perceived
health status |
| Excellent |
0.59 |
0.74 |
1.13 |
| Very good |
0.43 |
0.67 |
0.93 |
| Good |
0.40 |
0.83 |
0.88 |
| Fair |
0.22 |
1.35 |
0.52 |
| Poor |
0.15 |
2.32 |
0.31 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown
perceived health status and marital status.
- bFor individuals age 16 and
over.
Source: Center for Financing,
Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component,
1996 (Round 1)
^top
Suggested
Citation: Research Findings #1: Health Insurance Status of the Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population: 1996. February
2006. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
Rockville, MD.
http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/data_files/publications/rf1/rf1.shtml |
|
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