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eriu: Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured Initiating and disemminating research to spark new policy discussion on health coverage issues.
Research Findings  
   
Fast Facts Home
 
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
 

Facts to Consider

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One quarter of the uninsured are poor, and over half (53.5%) have income below twice the poverty threshold.

ERIU has compiled statistics about the uninsured across many dimensions: age, race, and ethnicity, earnings, and income.   The statistic about the uninsured and income levels comes from the Current Population Survey (CPS) for 2004, found at the bottom of this table.

The CPS is not the only that provides data about the income of the uninsured.  ERIU's "fast facts" are unique in providing the same type of fact from several more than one survey source, and for several timeframes (point in time, all year, ever in year). We also provide comparisons between results using the Current Population Survey (CPS) and two other surveys: CPS vs SIPP (Survey of Income and Program Participation) and CPS vs MEPS (Medical Expenditure Panel Survey).

For more on ERIU's "fast facts": ERIU Fast Facts