Research Findings
#2: Health Insurance Status of Workers and Their Families, 1996
Alan C. Monheit, Ph.D., and Jessica P. Vistnes,
Ph.D.
Introduction
Health insurance obtained through the workplace
is the primary source of private coverage for most Americans. Data
from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) indicate
that during the first half of 1996, on average, nearly two-thirds
of non-elderly Americans (64.1 percent, or 148.5 million persons)
obtained employment-related health insurance (Vistnes and Monheit,
1997). These persons represented 93.3 percent of all persons under
age 65 with private insurance. Despite the size of the covered
population, employment does not necessarily lead to health insurance
for many working Americans and their families. Indeed, MEPS data
also indicate that nearly a fifth of non-elderly workers ages 16-64
(18.4 percent, or about 23 million persons) were without health
insurance. These workers, on average, represented half (51.4 percent)
of the non-elderly uninsured population during the first half of
1996.
The importance of the workplace as a source of
private health insurance, the incentives for inefficient health
plan choice associated with the employment-based insurance system,
and the size and composition of the employed uninsured population
have been ongoing public policy concerns. These concerns have focused
specifically on disparities in the availability, out-of-pocket
costs, and tax treatment of employment-based coverage for workers
in different employment circumstances; the inability of some workers
or their dependents with health problems to obtain such coverage;
and gaps in the continuity of work-related health insurance during
employment transitions. Such issues have been a major impetus for
health reform proposals in the United States, including State reforms
of the small employer group market and efforts to change the tax
treatment of employer contributions to health insurance. The recently
enacted Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
of 1996 (Public Law 104-191) was designed to address a key area
of concern--ensuring the continuity of employment-based coverage
for workers who change or lose jobs or who experience health problems.
This report uses data from the first round of
the 1996 MEPS to provide preliminary estimates of the health insurance
status of working Americans and their families for the first half
of 1996, on average. (For a discussion of the 1996 MEPS, see Cohen,
Monheit, Beauregard, et al., 1996.) Particular emphases of this
report are to provide estimates of the size of the insured and
uninsured working populations, to identify the specific demographic
and employment characteristics that are associated with the likelihood
that certain workers will obtain employment-based coverage, and
to identify factors that leave other workers at particular risk
of lacking such coverage and remaining uninsured. These data are
presented in Tables
1-5. Table
A in the Technical Appendix
provides estimates of the number of working Americans by health
insurance status.
^top
Families With and Without Working Adults
An examination of the insurance status of non-elderly
Americans in households with or without a working adult (Table
1) reveals the following:
-
Nearly three-quarters (73.7
percent) of working adults ages 18-64 were covered by employment-related
health insurance. However, working adults comprised half (50.4
percent) of the uninsured population under age 65.
-
Two-thirds (66.3 percent) of
children in households with a working adult were covered by
employment-related health insurance. However, children in families
with working adults represented over a fifth (22.1 percent)
of the uninsured population.
-
Of all children uninsured throughout
the first half of 1996, about 90 percent (89.8 percent) were
in households with a working adult (calculated from Table
1).
-
Nearly 87 percent of the uninsured
population resided in households with a working adult. Thus,
the employed uninsured and their dependents remain the largest
segment of the uninsured population.
-
Three-quarters (75.8 percent)
of children in households without a working adult were covered
by public insurance (largely Medicaid).
The high rate of public coverage for children
in households without a working adult offsets their lack of private
insurance. As a result, children in households with or without
a working adult were equally likely to be uninsured (slightly more
than 15 percent of children in either type of household). Almost
30 percent of nonworking adults in both types of households were
uninsured.
^top
Workers
Although nearly three-quarters (73.6 percent)
of workers ages 16-64 obtained health insurance from their own
or another employer (e.g., a spouse's), almost a fifth (18.4 percent)
of all non-elderly workers were uninsured. Data presented in (Tables
2 and 3 ) indicate
that certain types of workers were more likely to obtain employment-related
coverage. Other workers were at greater risk of being uninsured,
especially the following:
-
Workers who may face high premiums
because their small employers may not be able to take advantage
of the scale economies from pooling risks over a large and
stable employee base.
-
The self-employed, who cannot
fully deduct health insurance premiums as a business expense
if they are owner-operators of unincorporated firms.
-
Low-wage workers who are either
unable to afford health insurance when offered coverage or
lack access to the kinds of jobs that provide health care coverage.
Such factors also may play a role in the ability
of other groups, such as racial and ethnic minorities and persons
in ill health, to obtain health insurance. Key findings regarding
the association between worker characteristics and health insurance
status are discussed next.
Age
Young workers ages 19-24 comprised the age group
most likely to lack employment-related insurance and to be uninsured (Table
2). Only half of these workers (53.1 percent) had work-related
coverage, while over a third (35.5 percent) were uninsured. The
situation is different for older workers:
Gender and Race/Ethnicity
The earnings of female and minority workers typically
have been below those of their male and white counterparts. This
earnings differential reflects a variety of factors, including
disparities in labor market opportunities, educational attainment
and skill levels, and labor force attachment and job experience.1 As
a result, women and minority workers are, on average, more likely
than other workers to obtain employment in low-wage jobs that typically
offer few fringe benefits. Such employment circumstances may have
important implications for their health insurance status. MEPS
data displayed in (Table 2) reveal
the following:
-
Working women were more likely
than men to be covered by employment-related health insurance
and were less likely to be uninsured. On the other hand, they
were less likely to have employment-related health insurance
in their own names: 58.9 percent of male workers were policyholders,
compared to 50.5 percent of female workers (data not shown).
-
Minority workers, especially
Hispanic workers, were far more likely than white workers to
be uninsured. About 38 percent of Hispanic workers and 25.7
percent of black workers were uninsured, compared to only 14.7
percent of white workers.
1For example, in
1994 the median weekly earnings of full-time men and women workers
were $522 and $399, respectively. Median weekly earnings were
$484 for white workers, $371 for black workers and $324 for Hispanic
workers (Department of Labor, 1995).
This latter finding reflects the fact that only
54.9 percent of Hispanic workers and two-thirds (66.0 percent)
of black workers had employment-related insurance, compared to
over three-quarters (77.4 percent) of white workers. In addition:
-
Hispanic male workers were far
less likely than all other workers to obtain employment- related
health insurance and were far more likely to be uninsured.
Only half (49.7 percent) of Hispanic male workers obtained
health coverage from an employer and 43.5 percent were uninsured.
-
A smaller proportion of black
than white male workers obtained employment-related health
insurance (66.0 percent vs. 76.0 percent). Thus, a larger percentage
of black male workers were uninsured (29.7 percent, compared
to only 16.5 percent of white male workers).
Within each racial/ethnic group, working women
were less likely than their male counterparts to be uninsured.
This general finding reflects differences in the types of health
insurance coverage held by males and females (Table
2):
-
Black working women were 3 1/2
times as likely as black male workers to obtain public insurance
(9.5 percent compared to 2.7 percent). Therefore, among black
workers, women were less likely to be uninsured (22.2 percent
of women compared to 29.7 percent of men).
-
Hispanic women were much more
likely than men to obtain work-related coverage (62.4 percent
of women compared to 49.7 percent of men). As a result, working
Hispanic women were less likely than male Hispanic workers
to be uninsured (29.9 percent compared to 43.5 percent).
-
Although minority women workers
were less likely to be uninsured than minority male workers,
they still were much more likely to be uninsured than employed
white women. Among female workers, 29.9 percent of Hispanics
and 22.2 percent of blacks were uninsured, compared to 12.6
percent uninsured among whites.
-
The difference in employment-related
health insurance between working white males and females resulted
in a greater percentage of white male workers who were uninsured
in the first half of 1996 (16.5 percent of white male workers
compared to 12.6 of white female workers).
Health Status
Incremental health insurance reform efforts at
the State and Federal levels have focused on ensuring that workers
in poor health have improved access to private health insurance.
For example, an important goal of the 1996 HIPAA (effective July
1, 1997) is to reduce the impact of preexisting health conditions
as an impediment to the health insurance coverage of workers who
either change or lose jobs. MEPS data (Table
2) reveal that in the first half of 1996, before HIPAA was
implemented, fair or poor health status was directly associated
with a lack of health care coverage:
-
Only 58.5 percent of workers
in poor health and 60.2 percent of workers in fair health obtained
employment-related insurance. In comparison, over three-quarters
of workers in excellent or very good health (76.7 percent and
76.1 percent, respectively) had such coverage.
-
Workers in fair health or poor
health (28.0 percent and 24.8 percent, respectively) were more
likely to be uninsured than workers in excellent or very good
health (16.0 percent and 16.4 percent, respectively).
Employment Characteristics
Certain characteristics of a worker's employment
are associated with the availability of coverage at the workplace
and its out-of-pocket costs--and consequently with the likelihood
that a worker will obtain employment-related health insurance.
As shown in (Table
3) the
factors discussed in the following paragraphs are important correlates
of a worker's insurance status.
Self-Employed Workers Vs. Wage Earners
Under current tax law, self-employed owner-operators
of unincorporated enterprises can deduct only 30 percent of their
expenditures on health insurance. In contrast, employer contributions
to health insurance made on behalf of wage earners are fully deductible
from taxable income. This disparity in tax treatment has led to
differences in the health insurance status of the self-employed
compared to that of wage earners (Monheit and Harvey, 1993; Gruber
and Poterba, 1994). The self-employed also may face higher premiums
since they are more likely to work in small firms, which may be
less able to take advantage of scale economies from risk pooling
over a large employee group. The data in (Table
3) indicate the following:
-
Self-employed workers were more
likely than wage earners to be uninsured (30.0 percent compared
to 16.6 percent).
-
Only half of self-employed workers,
compared to over three-quarters of wage earners, had work-related
coverage.
-
The self-employed were five
times as likely as wage earners to have private, nonemployment-related
coverage (15.8 percent compared to 3.1 percent).
Size of Establishment--Wage Earners
As establishment size increased, wage earners
were more likely to be covered by employment-related health insurance
and less likely to be uninsured. For example:
-
In establishments with fewer
than 10 employees, 58.8 percent of wage earners had employment-related
coverage and 30.4 percent were uninsured.2
-
In establishments of 500 or
more employees, 91.0 percent of wage earners had employment-related
coverage and only 6.7 percent were uninsured.
2Monheit
and Vistnes (1994) found that a sizable proportion of employees
in small firms who had employment-related health insurance
obtained such coverage as dependents on another family member's
employment-related plan that was obtained from a large firm.
Size of Business--Self-Employed Workers
Less than half of self-employed workers in small
businesses (those with fewer than 10 workers) had employment-related
insurance, compared to 72.7 percent of the self-employed in establishments
of 10 or more workers. The self-employed in small businesses were
twice as likely as those in businesses of 10 or more workers to
be uninsured.
Hourly Wage
Whether a worker was likely to obtain employment-related
health insurance or be uninsured was directly related to the level
of hourly wages:
-
Less than half (43.4 percent)
of workers earning less than $5 per hour and only two- thirds
(63.6 percent) of workers earning between $5 and $10 per hour
obtained employment-related coverage. In contrast, about 95
percent of workers earning $15 or more per hour obtained such
coverage.
-
Of workers earning less than
$5 per hour, 37.8 percent were uninsured; 27.7 percent of those
earning between $5 and $10 per hour were uninsured. In contrast,
only 2.9 percent of workers earning $15 or more per hour were
uninsured.
Weekly Hours of Work
Compared to full-time workers (at least 35 hours
per week), those employed part time were less likely to be covered
by employment-related insurance and more likely to be uninsured:
-
Approximately 60 percent of
part-time employees had work-related coverage, compared to
over three-quarters (77.8 percent) of full-time workers.
-
Roughly a quarter of part-time
workers (23.5 percent of those working less than 20 hours per
week and 27.5 percent working 20-34 hours per week) were uninsured,
compared to only 16.1 percent of full-time employees.
Union Membership
Only 5.4 percent of working union members were
uninsured, compared to 20.1 percent of workers who were not union
members. Over 90 percent (92.8 percent) of union members had employment-related
health insurance.
Availability of Coverage for Wage Earners
The 1996 MEPS also provides information on whether
health insurance was made available to workers by their employers
during the first half of 1996, on average. These data indicate
the following:
-
Employers offered health insurance
to 69.3 percent of wage earners (computed from data in Table
3).
-
Of workers not offered health
insurance, 40.5 percent had access to employment-related coverage
either as a dependent or through a previous job.
-
Nearly 43 percent of workers
who were not offered coverage remained uninsured.
For a detailed discussion of the availability
of health insurance to wage earners and how it has changed over
time, see Cooper and Schone (1997).
^top
Young Adult Workers
Compared to all working Americans under age 65,
young adults ages 19-24 were most at risk of lacking health insurance
coverage and were least likely to have private health insurance (Table
2). This reflects the fact that many
young adult workers have limited work experience or transitory
employment status, so they frequently obtain low-wage jobs that
do not provide health insurance. Moreover, since young adults tend
to be in good health, expect to have only small medical expenditures,
and may be less likely than older workers to have dependents requiring
medical care, they may not perceive health insurance as an important
employment benefit.
Slightly more than half (53.1 percent) of employed
young adults had employment-related coverage, and over a third
(35.5 percent) were uninsured (Tables
2 and 4).
The workplace is the primary source of private health coverage,
but health care coverage is not always made available to young
working adults. The following paragraphs discuss the employment
characteristics of young working adults that are associated with
their health insurance status.
Availability of Employment-Based Coverage
Young adult wage earners
ages 19-24 were far less likely than older workers to be offered
health insurance by
their employers (Table
4):
-
Only 41.3 percent of young adult
wage earners were offered health insurance by their employers.
In contrast, 69.3 percent of all workers ages 16-64 were offered
coverage.
-
Nearly 13 percent of young adult
wage earners who were offered employment-related coverage remained
uninsured. However, only 4.7 percent of all workers ages 16-64
who were offered coverage were uninsured.
-
Nearly half (48.1 percent) of
young wage earners not offered coverage by their employers
were uninsured. A somewhat lower proportion of all workers
ages 16-64 who were not offered coverage were uninsured (42.7
percent).
Hourly Wage
Among young adult wage earners, those earning
$10 or more per hour were the most likely to have employment-related
health insurance and the least likely to be uninsured. However,
when compared to all workers earning $10 or more per hour, young
working adults were less likely to have employment-related coverage
and more likely to be uninsured (Tables
3 and 4). Young adults earning low
wages (less than $10 per hour) also were more likely to be uninsured
than low-wage workers in general.
Hours of Work
As noted previously, full-time workers are far
more likely than those working part time to obtain employment-related
health insurance. Yet compared to all full-time workers, full-time
young adult workers remain at a disadvantage (Tables
3 and 4). For
example, young adults working full time were less likely than all
full-time workers to have employment-related coverage (55.9 percent
compared to 77.8 percent) and twice as likely to be uninsured (35.6
percent compared to 16.1 percent). However, the insurance status
of full-time workers did not differ from that of part-time workers
among the young adult population.
The health insurance status
of young adults working fewer than 20 hours per week was comparable
to that of all adult
part-time workers. Young adults working less than 20 hours per
week had similar rates of employment-related insurance (56.1 percent
compared to 60.1 percent of all adult workers). They also had the
same likelihood of being uninsured as all adult part-time workers
employed fewer than 20 hours per week (26.7 percent compared to
23.5 percent of all adult workers).
^top
Characteristics
of the Working Uninsured
Data from the 1996 MEPS presented in (Table
5) further
describe the characteristics of the working uninsured population
by considering the representation of workers most at risk of
lacking health care coverage in the general population relative
to their representation among the working uninsured population.
By examining the composition of the working uninsured population
in this way, one can assess whether certain groups of workers
are disproportionately represented among the working uninsured.
Such tabulations can be useful in formulating more targeted and
cost-efficient policy interventions designed to reduce the number
of workers who lack health insurance. Results from these tabulations
include the following:
-
Wage earners working for small
establishments (fewer than 25 employees) represented 28.3 percent
of all working Americans but accounted for 41.1 percent of
the working uninsured.
-
Workers earning less than $10
per hour represented 35.8 percent of all workers but composed
57.0 percent of all uninsured workers.
-
Young adult workers ages 19-24
represented 11.9 percent of all workers and 22.9 percent of
the working uninsured.
-
Minority workers were disproportionately
represented among the uninsured working population. For example,
Hispanic workers represented 9.3 percent of all workers and
19.2 percent of all uninsured workers; black workers represented
10.7 percent of all workers and 14.9 percent of the working
uninsured.
-
Among minority
workers, Hispanic males were especially over represented among
the uninsured working
population. They represented 5.5 percent of all workers but
12.9 percent of uninsured workers.
-
Self-employed workers represented
12.7 percent of all workers and 20.8 percent of all uninsured
workers.
^top
Conclusions
Preliminary data from the 1996 MEPS indicate
that during the first half of 1996, on average, nearly two-thirds
(64.1 percent) of all privately insured non-elderly Americans (148.5
million persons) obtained private health insurance through the
workplace. Such persons represented 93.3 percent of all persons
under age 65 with private health insurance during the first half
of 1996. While almost three-quarters of working Americans obtained
employment-based coverage (either as a policyholder or as a dependent),
nearly a fifth (18.4 percent) of all non-elderly workers ages 16-64
lacked any health care coverage. Almost two-thirds of children
(66.3 percent) residing in working families had employment-based
coverage, but children from working families represented over a
fifth (22.1 percent) of all uninsured persons. In sum, uninsured
workers and their uninsured dependents represented 86.9 percent
of all non-elderly persons without health coverage.
Working Americans who obtained employment-based
coverage were more likely to work in larger establishments, to
work full time (35 hours or more per week), and to earn higher
hourly wages than workers who did not obtain such coverage. Young
adult workers ages 19-24 were especially unlikely to obtain employment-based
coverage and were thus likely to remain uninsured. This was also
true of minority workers (particularly Hispanic male workers) and
workers in fair or poor health. Although women workers were more
likely than men to be covered by employment-related insurance,
they were less likely to have such coverage in their own name.
Wage earners were more likely
to have employment-related coverage than were the self-employed.
This difference may reflect
disparities in the tax treatment of expenditures for health insurance
made on behalf of each type of worker. Finally, 93.5 percent of
the 75.1 million wage earners who were offered coverage by their
employers obtained employment-related coverage, either as a policyholder
or dependent. Of the 29.5 million wage earners not offered such
coverage, 40.5 percent obtained employment-related coverage, mainly
as a dependent, while 42.7 percent were uninsured. In contrast
to all adult wage earners, less than half (41.3 percent) of young
adult wage earners were offered health insurance by their employers.
More information on the health insurance status
of working Americans will be available in future MEPS data releases
and reports. In addition, data from the MEPS Insurance Component
will provide more detailed information on whether health insurance
is available to workers and their families, as well as the premiums,
employer and employee contributions, and benefit provisions associated
with such coverage.
^top
Tables
| Table
1. Health insurance coverage and employment
status of the civilian noninstitutionalized population
under age 65: Percent distribution by type of coverage
for persons in families with and without working adults,
United States, first half of 1996 |
| Employment
status of adults in family |
Total
population in thousands |
Private |
Uninsured |
Percent
distribution of uninsured |
| Total
private |
Employment-
related |
Public
only |
| Percent
distribution |
| Total |
231,676 |
68.7 |
64.1 |
12.1 |
19.2 |
100.0 |
| Persons
in families with a working adulta |
208,574 |
73.6 |
69.0 |
7.9 |
18.5 |
86.9 |
| Working
adult |
121,882 |
78.4 |
73.7 |
3.2 |
18.4 |
50.4 |
| Nonworking
adult |
22,669 |
57.4 |
51.6 |
14.4 |
28.2 |
14.4 |
| Child |
64,022 |
70.2 |
66.3 |
14.4 |
15.4 |
22.1 |
| Persons
in families without a working adulta |
23,103 |
24.9 |
20.3 |
49.9 |
25.2 |
13.1 |
| Nonworking
adult |
15,704 |
32.5 |
26.3 |
37.7 |
29.9 |
10.5 |
| Child |
7,399 |
9.0 |
7.4 |
75.8 |
15.2 |
2.5 |
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
2. Health insurance coverage of workers
ages 16-64: Percent distribution by type of coverage and
selected population characteristics, United States, first
half of 1996 |
| Population
characteristic |
Working
population in thousands |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total
private |
Employment-
related |
Nonemployment-
related |
| Percent
distribution |
| Totala |
124,218 |
78.3 |
73.6 |
4.7 |
3.3 |
18.4 |
| Age
in years |
| 16-18 |
3,931 |
74.7 |
69.5 |
5.2 |
6.1 |
19.2 |
| 19-24 |
14,728 |
59.2 |
53.1 |
6.1 |
5.2 |
35.5 |
| 25-29 |
14,957 |
73.0 |
68.0 |
4.9 |
3.7 |
23.3 |
| 30-34 |
17,372 |
80.0 |
77.0 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
17.1 |
| 35-44 |
35,614 |
81.9 |
78.2 |
3.7 |
2.9 |
15.3 |
| 45-54 |
26,034 |
84.8 |
79.4 |
5.5 |
2.3 |
12.9 |
| 55-64 |
11,582 |
82.9 |
76.4 |
6.5 |
3.4 |
13.8 |
| Sex |
| Male |
65,844 |
76.6 |
71.9 |
4.7 |
2.6 |
20.7 |
| Female |
58,374 |
80.2 |
75.5 |
4.7 |
4.1 |
15.7 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total
Hispanic |
11,548 |
57.6 |
54.9 |
2.7 |
4.5 |
37.9 |
| Total
black |
13,254 |
68.0 |
66.0 |
2.0 |
6.4 |
25.7 |
| Total
white |
94,100 |
82.7 |
77.4 |
5.3 |
2.6 |
14.7 |
| Total
other |
5,316 |
71.6 |
65.7 |
5.9 |
4.6 |
23.8 |
| Hispanic
male |
6,772 |
52.9 |
49.7 |
3.2 |
3.6 |
43.5 |
| Black
male |
6,078 |
67.6 |
66.0 |
1.5 |
2.7 |
29.7 |
| White
male |
50,002 |
81.2 |
76.0 |
5.2 |
2.3 |
16.5 |
| Hispanic
female |
4,776 |
64.3 |
62.4 |
1.9 |
5.8 |
29.9 |
| Black
female |
7,176 |
68.3 |
66.0 |
2.3 |
9.5 |
22.2 |
| White
female |
44,098 |
84.4 |
79.1 |
5.4 |
3.0 |
12.6 |
| Perceived
health status |
| Excellent |
44,639 |
82.0 |
76.7 |
5.4 |
2.0 |
16.0 |
| Very
good |
41,668 |
81.1 |
76.1 |
5.0 |
2.4 |
16.4 |
| Good |
29,018 |
73.3 |
69.7 |
3.6 |
4.8 |
21.9 |
| Fair |
7,417 |
64.0 |
60.2 |
3.8 |
8.0 |
28.0 |
| Poor |
1,396 |
62.7 |
58.5 |
4.1 |
12.5 |
24.8 |
- aIncludes
persons with unknown perceived health status.
Note: Restricted
to civilian noninstitutionalized population. 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 workers
ages 16-64: Percent distribution by type of coverage and
selected job characteristics, United States, first half
of 1996 |
| Job
characteristic |
Working
population in thousands |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total
private |
Employment-
related |
Nonemployment-
related |
| Percent
distribution |
| Totala |
124,218 |
78.3 |
73.6 |
4.7 |
3.3 |
18.4 |
| Offered
insuranceb |
| Yes |
75,085 |
94.4 |
93.5 |
1.0 |
0.9 |
4.7 |
| No |
29,466 |
48.6 |
40.5 |
8.1 |
8.7 |
42.7 |
| Size
of establishmentb |
| Less
than 10 workers |
19,066 |
64.3 |
58.8 |
5.5 |
5.3 |
30.4 |
| 10-24
workers |
15,991 |
73.0 |
68.7 |
4.3 |
4.7 |
22.4 |
| 25-49
workers |
13,126 |
80.0 |
76.8 |
3.2 |
3.5 |
16.4 |
| 50-99
workers |
14,328 |
85.1 |
82.3 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
12.1 |
| 100-499
workers |
24,004 |
89.1 |
87.5 |
1.6 |
1.9 |
9.0 |
| 500
or more workers |
17,329 |
92.3 |
91.0 |
1.3 |
1.0 |
6.7 |
| Hourly
wagesb |
| Less
than $5.00 |
7,042 |
48.8 |
43.4 |
5.5 |
13.4 |
37.8 |
| $5.00-$9.99 |
37,308 |
67.2 |
63.6 |
3.6 |
5.2 |
27.7 |
| $10.00-$14.99 |
29,645 |
89.1 |
86.4 |
2.7 |
1.1 |
9.8 |
| $15.00-$19.99 |
13,091 |
96.9 |
94.5 |
2.3 |
0.2 |
2.9 |
| $20.00
or more |
15,559 |
96.8 |
95.5 |
1.3 |
0.3 |
2.9 |
| Self-employed |
| Yes |
15,781 |
65.8 |
50.0 |
15.8 |
4.1 |
30.0 |
| No |
108,340 |
80.2 |
77.1 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
16.6 |
| Size
of self-employed businessc |
| 1
worker |
6,455 |
60.7 |
45.4 |
15.3 |
5.4 |
33.9 |
| 2-9
workers |
6,386 |
65.6 |
48.2 |
17.4 |
4.0 |
30.5 |
| 10
or more workers |
2,071 |
83.4 |
72.7 |
10.7 |
1.3 |
15.3 |
| Hours
of work |
| Less
than 20 hours |
8,453 |
69.1 |
60.1 |
9.0 |
7.5 |
23.5 |
| 20-34
hours |
16,933 |
65.7 |
59.0 |
6.7 |
6.8 |
27.5 |
| 35
or more hours |
95,536 |
81.6 |
77.8 |
3.8 |
2.3 |
16.1 |
| Union
membership |
| Yes |
15,834 |
93.6 |
92.8 |
0.8 |
1.0 |
5.4 |
| No |
107,432 |
76.3 |
71.0 |
5.2 |
3.6 |
20.1 |
- aIncludes
persons with unknown size of establishment, insurance offered,
hourly wages, hours of work, self-employment status, size of
self-employed business, and union membership.
- bFor wage
earners only.
- cFor self-employed
workers only.
Note: Restricted
to civilian noninstitutionalized population. 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 workers
ages 19-24: Percent distribution by type of coverage and
selected job characteristics, United States, first half
of 1996 |
| Job
characteristic |
Working
population in thousands |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total
private |
Employment-
related |
| Percent
distribution |
| Totala |
14,728 |
59.2 |
53.1 |
5.2 |
35.5 |
| Offered
insuranceb |
| Yes |
5,817 |
84.8 |
82.9 |
2.5 |
12.7 |
| No |
7,627 |
44.5 |
35.3 |
7.3 |
48.1 |
| Hours
of work |
| Less
than 20 hours |
1,654 |
65.7 |
56.1 |
7.6 |
26.7 |
| 20-34
hours |
3,607 |
53.3 |
45.7 |
8.4 |
38.2 |
| 35
or more hours |
9,065 |
60.6 |
55.9 |
3.8 |
35.6 |
| Hourly
wagesb |
| Less
than $5.00 |
1,825 |
43.3 |
34.8 |
11.9 |
44.7 |
| $5.00-$9.99 |
8,750 |
57.3 |
52.1 |
5.4 |
37.3 |
| $10.00
or more |
2,782 |
81.7 |
75.0 |
0.7 |
17.6 |
- aIncludes
persons with unknown insurance offered, hours of work, and hourly
wages.
- bFor wage
earners only.
Note: Restricted
to civilian noninstitutionalized population. 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 of workers ages
16-64 and uninsured workers: Percent distribution by selected
characteristics, United States, first half of 1996 |
| Characteristic |
Working
population in thousands |
Percent
distribution of workers |
Percent
uninsured |
Percent
distribution of uninsured workers |
| Totala |
124,218 |
100.0 |
18.4 |
100.0 |
| Age
in years |
| 16-18 |
3,931 |
3.2 |
19.2 |
3.3 |
| 19-24 |
14,728 |
11.9 |
35.5 |
22.9 |
| 25-29 |
14,957 |
12.0 |
23.3 |
15.3 |
| 30-34 |
17,372 |
14.0 |
17.1 |
13.0 |
| 35-44 |
35,614 |
28.7 |
15.3 |
23.8 |
| 45-54 |
26,034 |
21.0 |
12.9 |
14.7 |
| 55-64 |
11,582 |
9.3 |
13.8 |
7.0 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total
Hispanic |
11,548 |
9.3 |
37.9 |
19.2 |
| Total
black |
13,254 |
10.7 |
25.7 |
14.9 |
| Total
white |
94,100 |
75.8 |
14.7 |
60.4 |
| Total
other |
5,316 |
4.3 |
23.8 |
5.5 |
| Hispanic
male |
6,772 |
5.5 |
43.5 |
12.9 |
| Black
male |
6,078 |
4.9 |
29.7 |
7.9 |
| White
male |
50,002 |
40.3 |
16.5 |
36.1 |
| Hispanic
female |
4,776 |
3.8 |
29.9 |
6.3 |
| Black
female |
7,176 |
5.8 |
22.2 |
7.0 |
| White
female |
44,098 |
35.5 |
12.6 |
24.3 |
| Self-employed |
| Yes |
15,781 |
12.7 |
30.0 |
20.8 |
| No |
108,340 |
87.3 |
16.6 |
79.2 |
| Size
of establishmentb |
| Less
than 10 workers |
19,066 |
15.4 |
30.4 |
25.4 |
| 10-24
workers |
15,991 |
12.9 |
22.4 |
15.7 |
| 25-49
workers |
13,126 |
10.6 |
16.4 |
9.5 |
| 50-99
workers |
14,328 |
11.5 |
12.1 |
7.6 |
| 100-499
workers |
24,004 |
19.3 |
9.0 |
9.4 |
| 500
or more workers |
17,329 |
14.0 |
6.7 |
5.1 |
| Hourly
wagesb |
| Less
than $5.00 |
7,042 |
5.7 |
37.8 |
11.7 |
| $5.00-$9.99 |
37,308 |
30.1 |
27.7 |
45.3 |
| $10.00-$14.99 |
29,645 |
23.9 |
9.8 |
12.8 |
| $15.00-$19.99 |
13,091 |
10.5 |
2.9 |
1.7 |
| $20.00
or more |
15,559 |
12.5 |
2.9 |
2.0 |
- aIncludes
persons with unknown self-employment status, hourly wages, and
size of establishment.
- bFor wage
earners only.
Note: Restricted
to civilian noninstitutionalized population. 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
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.
Cooper PF, Schone B. Offer rates and take-up
rates of employment-sponsored health insurance: 1987 vs. 1996.
Rockville (MD): Agency for Health Care Policy and Research; 1997.
Working paper.
Department of Labor (US). Report on the American
workforce, 1995. Table 42. Washington: U.S. Government Printing
Office; 1995.
Gruber J, Poterba J. Tax incentives and the decision
to purchase health insurance: evidence from the self employed.
Quarterly Journal of Economics 1994;109:701-33.
Monheit AC, Harvey PH. Sources of health insurance
for the self-employed: does differential taxation make a difference?
Inquiry 1993;30:293-305.Monheit AC, Vistnes JP. Implicit pooling of employees
from large and small firms. Health Affairs. 1994 Spring (I);13(1):301-314.
Vistnes JP, Monheit AC. Health insurance status
of the civilian noninstitutionalized population: 1996. Rockville
(MD):Agency for Health Care Policy and Research; 1997. MEPS
Research Findings No. 1. AHRQ Pub. No. 97-0030.
^top
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.
Round 1 interviews were conducted from March to July 1996.
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.
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 considered
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 his 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.
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 follow-up survey
as part of the MEPS data collection effort designed to verify and
supplement the information provided by the household respondents.
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.
The job characteristics reported in Tables
3-5 relate
to the worker's main job as reported on the Round 1 interview
date. Selected variables are discussed below.
Offered Insurance
This variable is reported in Tables
3 and 4 for wage earners only at
the time of the Round 1 interview. It measures whether wage earners
had been offered health insurance at their main job.
Size of Establishment or Size of Self-Employed
Business
Size of establishment (a workplace location)
is defined for wage earners only. The variable for self-employed
workers captures the size of their business (which can consist
of several establishments) rather than the size of the establishment
at which they work.
Working Adults
Persons were considered working adults if they
had a job for pay, owned a business, or worked without pay in a
family business at the time of the Round 1 interview. The age range
included in each table is specified in the table title or notes.
Employment Status of a Family
Families consist of all persons related by blood
or marriage in a reporting unit as well as students living away
from home. Families are classified according to whether or not
they have at least one working adult. For Table
1, individuals
within the family are classified as working adults, nonworking
adults, or children (under age 18).
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.
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.
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.
^top
Table
A. Health insurance coverage of workers
ages 16-64: Population estimates by type of coverage and selected
population characteristics, United States, first half of 1996
| Population
characteristic |
Total population |
Any coverage |
Private |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
| Number
in thousands |
| Total |
124,218 |
101,390 |
97,306 |
91,453 |
22,827 |
| Age
in years |
16-18 |
3,931 |
3,176 |
2,937 |
2,733 |
-- |
19-24 |
14,728 |
9,496 |
8,725 |
7,823 |
5,231 |
25-29 |
14,957 |
11,472 |
10,911 |
10,173 |
3,485 |
30-34 |
17,372 |
14,406 |
13,899 |
13,380 |
2,966 |
35-44 |
35,614 |
30,172 |
29,151 |
27,833 |
5,442 |
45-54 |
26,034 |
22,682 |
22,085 |
20,663 |
3,352 |
55-64 |
11,582 |
9,987 |
9,597 |
8,847 |
1,595 |
| Sex |
| Male |
65,844 |
52,185 |
50,466 |
47,356 |
13,658 |
| Female |
58,374 |
49,205 |
46,840 |
44,096 |
9,169 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Hispanic |
11,548 |
7,175 |
6,654 |
6,344 |
4,373 |
| Black |
13,254 |
9,854 |
9,008 |
8,749 |
3,400 |
| White |
94,100 |
80,310 |
77,837 |
72,869 |
13,790 |
| Other |
5,316 |
4,052 |
3,807 |
3,491 |
-- |
| Perceived
health status |
| Excellent |
44,639 |
37,499 |
36,606 |
34,216 |
7,140 |
| Very good |
41,668 |
34,824 |
33,812 |
31,719 |
6,844 |
| Good |
29,018 |
22,656 |
21,259 |
20,226 |
6,362 |
| Fair |
7,417 |
5,339 |
4,745 |
4,463 |
2,078 |
| Poor |
1,396 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
- Sample size too small to produce reliable
estimates.
Note: Numbers may not add to
totals because of rounding. Persons with public coverage included
in totals but not shown separately due to small sample sizes.
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 B.
Health insurance coverage and employment status of the civilian
noninstitutionalized population under age 65: Standard errors
by type of coverage for persons in families with and without
working adults, United States, first half of 1996
Corresponds to Table 1
| Employment
status of adults in family |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
Percent
distribution of uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
| Standard
error |
| Total |
0.78 |
0.79 |
0.58 |
0.52 |
-- |
| Persons in families
with a working adulta |
0.75 |
0.78 |
0.48 |
0.54 |
0.83 |
| Working adult |
0.66 |
0.68 |
0.31 |
0.54 |
0.98 |
| Nonworking adult |
1.23 |
1.23 |
1.00 |
1.16 |
0.63 |
| Child |
1.17 |
1.23 |
0.87 |
0.82 |
0.95 |
| Persons in families
without a working adulta |
1.45 |
1.40 |
1.74 |
1.45 |
0.83 |
| Nonworking adult |
1.69 |
1.65 |
1.69 |
1.56 |
0.66 |
| Child |
1.75 |
1.71 |
2.42 |
1.93 |
0.34 |
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 C.
Health insurance coverage of workers ages 16-64: Standard errors
by type of coverage and selected population characteristics,
United States, first half of 1996
Corresponds to Table 2
| Population
characteristic |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
Nonemployment- related |
| Standard
error |
| Totala |
0.66 |
0.67 |
0.28 |
0.31 |
0.54 |
| Age
in years |
| 16-18 |
2.84 |
3.07 |
1.21 |
1.39 |
2.43 |
| 19-24 |
1.83 |
1.81 |
0.87 |
0.90 |
1.78 |
| 25-29 |
1.62 |
1.66 |
0.70 |
0.66 |
1.51 |
| 30-34 |
1.30 |
1.34 |
0.46 |
0.51 |
1.17 |
| 35-44 |
0.94 |
1.00 |
0.43 |
0.41 |
0.79 |
| 45-54 |
0.89 |
1.04 |
0.62 |
0.41 |
0.82 |
| 55-64 |
1.33 |
1.58 |
0.89 |
0.70 |
1.11 |
| Sex |
| Male |
0.79 |
0.82 |
0.35 |
0.28 |
0.71 |
| Female |
0.77 |
0.81 |
0.34 |
0.41 |
0.62 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
2.03 |
2.03 |
0.47 |
0.85 |
1.95 |
| Total black |
2.14 |
2.19 |
0.48 |
0.99 |
2.04 |
| Total white |
0.69 |
0.73 |
0.33 |
0.29 |
0.57 |
| Total other |
3.21 |
3.37 |
1.55 |
*1.65 |
2.72 |
| Hispanic male |
2.22 |
2.23 |
0.71 |
0.82 |
2.17 |
| Black male |
2.57 |
2.58 |
*0.52 |
*0.93 |
2.42 |
| White male |
0.85 |
0.93 |
0.43 |
0.29 |
0.77 |
| Hispanic female |
2.37 |
2.39 |
0.52 |
1.13 |
2.26 |
| Black female |
2.64 |
2.75 |
0.67 |
1.54 |
2.64 |
| White female |
0.78 |
0.82 |
0.39 |
0.38 |
0.61 |
| Perceived
health status |
| Excellent |
0.84 |
0.90 |
0.48 |
0.30 |
0.78 |
| Very good |
0.82 |
0.91 |
0.48 |
0.35 |
0.76 |
| Good |
1.12 |
1.14 |
0.41 |
0.58 |
0.95 |
| Fair |
2.07 |
2.15 |
0.81 |
1.11 |
1.99 |
| Poor |
4.49 |
4.73 |
*1.92 |
3.18 |
3.84 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown
perceived health status.
- *Relative standard error is greater than or
equal to 30 percent.
Note: Restricted to civilian
noninstitutionalized population.
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 D.
Health insurance coverage of workers ages 16-64: Standard errors
by type of coverage and selected job characteristics, United
States, first half of 1996
Corresponds to Table 3
| Job characteristic |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
Nonemployment- related |
| Standard
error |
| Totala |
0.66 |
0.67 |
0.28 |
0.31 |
0.54 |
| Offered
insuranceb |
| Yes |
0.43 |
0.44 |
0.14 |
0.16 |
0.38 |
| No |
1.36 |
1.27 |
0.66 |
0.81 |
1.30 |
| Size
of establishmentb |
| Less than 10 workers |
1.39 |
1.38 |
0.68 |
0.78 |
1.29 |
| 10-24 workers |
1.40 |
1.43 |
0.72 |
0.64 |
1.27 |
| 25-49 workers |
1.48 |
1.56 |
0.66 |
0.72 |
1.30 |
| 50-99 workers |
1.19 |
1.27 |
0.55 |
0.59 |
1.10 |
| 100-499 workers |
0.93 |
0.98 |
0.30 |
0.32 |
0.82 |
| 500 or more workers |
0.91 |
0.96 |
0.34 |
*0.36 |
0.80 |
| Hourly
wagesb |
| Less than $5.00 |
2.49 |
2.25 |
1.02 |
1.59 |
2.42 |
| $5.00-$9.99 |
1.02 |
1.02 |
0.36 |
0.53 |
0.93 |
| $10.00-$14.99 |
0.76 |
0.83 |
0.35 |
0.21 |
0.73 |
| $15.00-$19.99 |
0.59 |
0.78 |
0.56 |
*0.15 |
0.57 |
| $20.00 or more |
0.60 |
0.76 |
0.36 |
*0.18 |
0.58 |
| Self-employed |
| Yes |
1.61 |
1.63 |
1.10 |
0.76 |
1.44 |
| No |
0.66 |
0.66 |
0.22 |
0.29 |
0.55 |
| Size
of self-employed businessc |
| 1 worker |
2.30 |
2.34 |
1.62 |
1.27 |
2.04 |
| 2-9 workers |
2.82 |
2.83 |
1.79 |
*1.30 |
2.48 |
| 10 or more workers |
3.25 |
4.33 |
3.11 |
*0.86 |
3.26 |
| Hours
of work |
| Less than 20 hours |
2.09 |
2.15 |
1.11 |
1.19 |
1.81 |
| 20-34 hours |
1.66 |
1.63 |
0.68 |
0.89 |
1.43 |
| 35 or more hours |
0.63 |
0.66 |
0.29 |
0.23 |
0.56 |
| Union
membership |
| Yes |
0.70 |
0.77 |
*0.27 |
0.28 |
0.66 |
| No |
0.73 |
0.74 |
0.31 |
0.35 |
0.59 |
- aIncludes unknown size of establishment,
insurance offered, hourly wages, hours of work, self-employment
status, size of self-employed business, and union membership.
- bFor wage earners only.
- cFor self-employed workers only.
- *Relative standard error is greater than or
equal to 30 percent.
Note: Restricted to civilian
noninstitutionalized population.
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 E.
Health insurance coverage of workers ages 19-24: Standard errors
by type of coverage and selected job characteristics, United
States, first half of 1996
Corresponds to Table 4
| Job characteristic |
Private |
Public
only |
Uninsured |
| Total private |
Employment- related |
| Standard
error |
| Totala |
1.82 |
1.81 |
0.90 |
1.78 |
| Offered
insuranceb |
| Yes |
2.16 |
2.23 |
*0.86 |
2.01 |
| No |
2.36 |
2.26 |
1.44 |
2.35 |
| Hours
of work |
| Less than 20 hours |
4.36 |
4.57 |
*2.66 |
4.18 |
| 20-34 hours |
3.39 |
3.14 |
2.14 |
3.37 |
| 35 or more hours |
2.50 |
2.60 |
0.81 |
2.42 |
| Hourly
wagesb |
| Less than $5.00 |
4.59 |
4.08 |
3.40 |
4.46 |
| $5.00-$9.99 |
2.34 |
2.33 |
1.02 |
2.18 |
| $10.00 or more |
3.00 |
3.51 |
*0.55 |
2.97 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown
insurance offered, hours of work, and hourly wages.
- bFor wage earners only.
- *Relative standard error is greater than or
equal to 30 percent.
Note: Restricted to civilian
noninstitutionalized population.
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 F.
Total population of workers ages 16-64 and uninsured workers:
Standard errors by selected characteristics, United States, first
half of 1996
Corresponds to Table 5
| Population
characteristic |
Percent distribution
of population |
Percent uninsured |
Percent distribution
of uninsured population |
| Standard
error |
| Totala |
-- |
0.54 |
-- |
| Age
in years |
| 16-18 |
0.19 |
2.43 |
0.43 |
| 19-24 |
0.37 |
1.78 |
1.20 |
| 25-29 |
0.47 |
1.51 |
0.98 |
| 30-34 |
0.41 |
1.17 |
0.82 |
| 35-44 |
0.55 |
0.79 |
1.11 |
| 45-54 |
0.51 |
0.82 |
0.84 |
| 55-64 |
0.32 |
1.11 |
0.55 |
| Race/ethnicity |
| Total Hispanic |
0.42 |
1.95 |
1.37 |
| Total black |
0.62 |
2.04 |
1.54 |
| Total white |
0.75 |
0.57 |
1.85 |
| Total other |
0.33 |
2.72 |
0.75 |
| Hispanic male |
0.28 |
2.17 |
1.00 |
| Black male |
0.31 |
2.42 |
0.83 |
| White male |
0.54 |
0.77 |
1.48 |
| Hispanic female |
0.20 |
2.26 |
0.57 |
| Black female |
0.38 |
2.64 |
1.02 |
| White female |
0.53 |
0.61 |
1.10 |
| Self-employed |
| Yes |
0.44 |
1.44 |
1.13 |
| No |
0.44 |
0.55 |
1.13 |
| Size
of establishmentb |
| Less than 10 workers |
0.45 |
1.29 |
1.10 |
| 10-24 workers |
0.36 |
1.27 |
0.87 |
| 25-49 workers |
0.33 |
1.30 |
0.72 |
| 50-99 workers |
0.38 |
1.10 |
0.67 |
| 100-499 workers |
0.42 |
0.82 |
0.82 |
| 500 or more workers |
0.46 |
0.80 |
0.64 |
| Hourly
wagesb |
| Less than $5.00 |
0.30 |
2.42 |
0.90 |
| $5.00-$9.99 |
0.63 |
0.93 |
1.30 |
| $10.00-$14.99 |
0.52 |
0.73 |
0.94 |
| $15.00-$19.99 |
0.37 |
0.57 |
0.32 |
| $20.00 or more |
0.47 |
0.58 |
0.40 |
- aIncludes persons with unknown
self-employment status, hourly wages, and size of establishment.
- bFor wage earners only.
Note: Restricted to civilian
noninstitutionalized population.
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 #2: Health Insurance Status of Workers and Their Families, 1996. February 2006. Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville,
MD.
http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/data_files/publications/rf2/rf2.shtml
|
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