Uninsured in America, First Half of 2008: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalzied Population under Age 65. Statistical Brief No. 249

摘要

The uninsured population in the United States is an issue of public policy concern for several reasons. First, health insurance is viewed as necessary to ensure that people have access to medical care and protection against the risk of costly and unforeseen medical events. Second, timely and reliable estimates of the populations health insurance status are vital to evaluate the costs and expected impact of public policy interventions to expand coverage or to change the way that private and public insurance is funded. Finally, comparisons of the characteristics of insured and uninsured populations over time provide information on whether greater equity has been achieved in insurance coverage or whether serious gaps remain. Estimates from the Household Component of the 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC) show that health insurance status among people under age 65 varies according to demographic characteristics, such as age, race/ethnicity, sex, and marital status. This Statistical Brief shows the estimated size of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population under age 65 that was uninsured throughout the first half of 2008 and identifies groups especially at risk of lacking health insurance. All differences between estimates discussed in the text are statistically significant at the 0.05 level unless otherwise noted.