Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured


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 1 - MEPS Non Elderly Population Calendar Year 2001 - Uninsured All Year
Characteristic	Population (Millions)	Distribution of Population	Uninsured (Millions)	Distribution of Uninsured	Uninsured Rate
TOTAL	250.0	100%	33.0	100%	13.2%
GENDER
Men	124.5	49.8%	18.3	55.3%	14.7%
Women	125.5	50.2%	14.7	44.7%	11.7%

AGE
CHILDREN Under age 19	80.2	32.1%	7.6	22.9%	9.4%

Under age 6	27.2	10.9%	2.3	6.9%	8.4%
Age 6 to 11	24.4	9.7%	1.9	5.9%	8.0%
Age 12 to 18	28.6	11.4%	3.3	10.1%	11.6%

ADULTS Age 19 -64	169.8	67.9%	25.5	77.1%	15.0%

Age 19-24	22.8	9.1%	5.4	16.3%	23.6%
Age 25-34	38.8	15.5%	6.9	20.9%	17.8%
Age 35-54	83.4	33.4%	10.5	31.8%	12.6%
Age 55-64	24.8	9.9%	2.6	8.0%	10.6%

RACE
White*	203.5	81.4%	26.9	81.4%	13.2%
Black*	33.1	13.2%	4.6	13.9%	13.8%
Asian/Pacific Islander	10.8	4.3%	1.1	3.3%	10.0%
American Indian/Alaskan Native	2.5	1.0%	0.5	1.4%	18.3%

HISPANIC ORIGIN
Hispanic	35.8	14.3%	10.6	32.2%	29.7%
Not Hispanic	214.2	85.7%	22.4	67.8%	10.5%

FAMILY WORK STATUS
2 or more full time	69.6	27.9%	6.0	18.1%	8.6%
Only 1 full time	119.4	47.8%	14.2	43.1%	11.9%
Only part time	20.3	8.1%	3.8	11.5%	18.7%
Only self employed	15.9	6.4%	4.3	13.1%	27.3%
No Workers	24.8	9.9%	4.7	14.2%	18.9%

WAGE/SALARY FOR PRIMARY EARNERS
No wage earner	40.5	16.2%	9.0	27.3%	22.2%
Under $7/hour	15.5	6.2%	4.3	13.1%	28.0%
$7-$15/hour	82.7	33.1%	14.4	43.5%	17.4%
$15-$25/hour	61.1	24.4%	3.4	10.4%	5.6%
More than $25/hour	50.2	20.1%	1.9	5.7%	3.7%

FAMILY COMPOSITION
WITH CHILDREN	158.7	63.5%	19.2	58.2%	12.1%

1 Adult	28.1	11.2%	3.7	11.2%	13.2%
2 Married adults	110.1	44.1%	11.1	33.7%	10.1%
Other	20.4	8.2%	4.4	13.3%	21.4%

WITHOUT CHILDREN (All)	91.3	36.5%	13.8	41.8%	15.1%

1 Adult	33.1	13.2%	6.0	18.1%	18.1%
2 Married adults	43.6	17.4%	3.8	11.4%	8.6%
Other	14.6	5.8%	4.1	12.3%	27.8%

INCOME (poverty level)
0 - 100% FPL	30.1	12.0%	7.3	22.2%	24.3%
100 - 200 % FPL	43.1	17.2%	10.6	32.1%	24.6%
200 - 400% FPL	77.9	31.2%	9.4	28.5%	12.1%
More than 400% FPL	98.9	39.6%	5.7	17.2%	5.8%

*Includes both Hispanic and Non Hispanic

These estimates are based on ERIU tabulations of 2001 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data collected by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The MEPS employs an overlapping panel design and collects data on two calendar years for each respondent. The tabulations reported here are based on responses to interview Rounds 3, 4, and 5 of Panel 5 and Rounds 1, 2, and 3 of Panel 6, which cover calendar year 2001 for both panels. Coverage status is obtained at the initial interview. At each subsequent interview, respondents are asked about whether their coverage has changed since the last interview and, if so, how and when. Respondents report whether they were covered by any public or private source of health insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, TRICARE/CHAMPUS, other public coverage, employment-based private, other private health insurance). Respondents are considered uninsured if they respond “no” to all of the coverage options; they are not asked directly if they are uninsured. A person may gain or lose coverage during a year and these data permit estimates of the number lacking coverage at a particular point in time, at some time during the year, and throughout the entire year. We label those who are without health insurance for the entire year as “all-year uninsured,” and those without health insurance for at least one month and up to twelve months as “ever uninsured.” The “point-in-time uninsured” estimates include those without coverage in the first round of the calendar year (Round 3 for those who entered the survey in 2000, and Round 1 for those who entered the survey in 2001).

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 MEPS Data Source and Variables (PDF)