Skip navigation to content
eriu: Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured Initiating and disemminating research to spark new policy discussion on health coverage issues.
2001 Data 2002 Data 2003 Data 2004 Data 2005 Data  
Fast Facts
 
   
Facts to Consider
 
 
Counting the Uninsured by Reference Period
All Year
Ever in Year
Point in Time
By Data Source
CPS
MEPS
SIPP
By Population
Total Non-Elderly
Adults
Children
Workers
Immigrants
By Additional Characteristics

Income
Education Level
Family Composition

Comparison Tables
CPS-SIPP
CPS-MEPS
Medical Utilization and
Expenditures Tables
 
Notes on Data Sources
and Variables
CPS
MEPS
SIPP
Data Dictionary
 
Table 3 - CPS
Workers (Ages 19-64, Not Self-Employed)
Calendar Year 2003
Characteristic
Population (Millions)
Distribution of Population
Uninsured (Millions)
Distribution of Uninsured
Uninsured Rate
TOTAL
126.9
100%
22.6
100%
17.8%
GENDER
Men
65.6
51.7%
13
57.3%
19.8%
Women
61.4
48.3%
9.7
42.7%
15.7%
 
AGE
ADULTS Age 19-64
126.9
100%
22.6
100%
17.8%
 
Age 19-24
17.8
14.0%
5.5
24.1%
30.7%
Age 25-34
30.9
24.3%
7.1
31.5%
23.1%
Age 35-54
62.4
49.1%
8.4
37.3%
13.5%
Age 55-64
15.9
12.5%
1.6
7.0%
10.0%
 
RACE
White*
103.5
81.5%
17.4
77.1%
16.9%
Black*
15
11.8%
3.4
15.0%
22.6%
Asian/Pacific Islander
5.7
4.5%
1.1
4.7%
18.6%
American Indian
0.9
0.7%
0.3
1.3%
33.4%
Biracial
1.8
1.4%
0.4
1.9%
24.0%
 
HISPANIC ORIGIN
Hispanic
17.1
13.4%
6.7
29.4%
39.0%
Not Hispanic
109.9
86.6%
16
70.6%
14.5%
 
IMMIGRANT STATUS
US Native
108.3
85.3%
16.1
71.0%
14.8%
Immigrant citizen
7.1
5.6%
1.3
5.8%
18.6%
Immigrant non-citizen
11.6
9.1%
5.2
23.2%
45.4%
           
EDUCATION          
Less than HS
13
10.2%
5.7
25.4%
44.2%
HS only
38.7
30.5%
8.5
37.7%
22.1%
Some post-HS
38.5
30.3%
5.6
24.6%
14.5%
4-year college degree or more
36.8
29.0%
2.8
12.3%
7.6%
           
INDIVIDUAL WORK STATUS (Point in Time)          
Full Time
90.5
71.3%
13.4
59.1%
14.8%
Part Time
22.1
17.4%
5.1
22.4%
23.0%
Self-Employed
1.2
1.0%
0.3
1.2%
22.6%
Not Working
13.1
10.3%
3.9
17.3%
29.8%
           
INDIVIDUAL WORK STATUS (Annual)          
EMPLOYED FULL YEAR
99.4
78.3%
15.1
66.8%
15.2%
 
Full time
88.7
69.8%
12.6
55.8%
14.3%
Part time
10.7
8.5%
2.5
11.0%
23.1%
           
EMPLOYED PART YEAR
27.5
21.7%
7.5
33.2%
27.3%
 
Full Time
17.8
14.1%
5
22.2%
28.1%
Part time
9.7
7.6%
2.5
11.0%
25.8%
           
FAMILY WORK STATUS**          
2 or more full time
46.9
36.9%
6.3
27.9%
13.5%
Only 1 full time
63.6
50.1%
11.3
49.7%
17.7%
Only part time
8.9
7.0%
2.7
11.8%
30.0%
Only self employed
1.2
0.9%
0.3
1.4%
26.5%
No Workers
6.4
5.1%
2.1
9.2%
32.3%
 
WAGE/SALARY FOR PRIMARY EARNERS
No wage earner
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
74.2%
Under $7/hour
9.8
7.7%
4.7
20.9%
48.4%
$7-$15/hour
40.2
31.6%
10.9
48.4%
27.3%
$15-$25/hour
41
32.3%
4.4
19.5%
10.8%
More than $25/hour
36
28.3%
2.5
11.2%
7.1%
 
FAMILY COMPOSITION
WITH CHILDREN
57.9
45.6%
9.4
41.4%
16.2%
 
1 Adult
8.4
6.7%
2
8.9%
23.9%
2 Married adults
43.5
34.3%
5.5
24.3%
12.6%
Other
6
4.7%
1.9
820.0%
30.9%
 
WITHOUT CHILDREN
69
54.4%
13.3
58.6%
19.2%
 
1 Adult
26
20.5%
6.1
27.1%
23.5%
2 Married adults
35.2
27.7%
4.6
20.4%
13.1%
Other
7.8
6.1%
2.5
11.1%
32.3%
 
INCOME (Poverty Level)
Under 100% FPL
7.2
5.7%
3.5
15.5%
48.8%
100 - 200 % FPL
17.6
13.8%
7.1
31.4%
40.5%
200 - 300% FPL
20.7
16.3%
4.7
20.7%
22.6%
300 - 400% FPL
19.8
15.6%
2.9
12.7%
14.5%
More than 400% FPL
61.7
48.6%
4.5
19.7%
7.2%
           

*Includes both Hispanic and Non Hispanic

**Family work status reflects the work status of family members at the time of the interview. The population of workers for this table includes anyone who worked at some time during the calendar year. Individuals who worked during the year but were not working at the time of the interview are counted as “not working” in the construction of the family work status categories.

 

These estimates are based on ERIU tabulations of data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau through the 2004 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (formerly called the Annual Demographic Supplement, or the March Supplement). CPS estimates of the uninsured are intended to represent persons who are uninsured throughout the calendar year. A person is considered insured if they were covered at any time during that calendar year; individuals insured for only one month are counted as insured. CPS estimates of the uninsured should be interpreted with caution. Respondents are asked to report on a time period that begins roughly 15 months prior to the time of the interview. Some respondents are likely to have trouble remembering back this far, while others may be confused by the time frame and respond instead about current coverage status. Studies that have examined and compared CPS estimates with data from other surveys, such as the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), suggest that CPS estimates of the uninsured are much closer to “point in time” than true full-year estimates.

For further discussion of issues related to counting the uninsured see "Counting and Characterizing the Uninsured," (Adobe PDF) by Pamela Farley Short, and ERIU Research Highlight 1: A Revolving Door: How Individuals Move In and Out of Health Insurance Coverage (Adobe PDF)

Notes on CPS Data Source and Variables (PDF)