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 3 - MEPS Workers (Ages 19-64, not self-employed) Calendar Year 2001 - Uninsured Ever During Year
Characteristic	Population (Millions)	Distribution of Population	Uninsured (Millions)	Distribution of Uninsured	Uninsured Rate
TOTAL	116.0	100%	26.6	100%	23.0%
GENDER
Men	59.3	51.1%	14.9	55.8%	25.1%
Women	56.7	48.9%	11.8	44.2%	20.8%

AGE
ADULTS age 19-64	116.0	100%	26.6	100%	23.0%

Age 19-24	15.1	13.0%	6.5	24.3%	42.8%
Age 25-34	29.5	25.4%	8.5	31.8%	28.8%
Age 35-54	59.7	51.5%	10.3	38.7%	17.3%
Age 55-64	11.7	10.1%	1.4	5.1%	11.6%

RACE
White*	96.4	83.1%	21.6	81.1%	22.4%
Black*	13.9	12.0%	3.8	14.2%	27.1%
Asian/Pacific Islander	4.7	4.0%	0.9	3.3%	18.7%
American Indian/Alaskan Native	1.0	0.9%	0.4	1.5%	38.1%

HISPANIC ORIGIN
Hispanic	14.3	12.3%	6.5	24.4%	45.5%
Not Hispanic	101.7	87.7%	20.1	75.6%	19.8%

EDUCATION
Less than HS	12.8	11.0%	6.3	23.5%	49.0%
HS only	40.9	35.3%	10.7	40.3%	26.2%
Some post-HS	19.9	17.2%	4.4	16.4%	22.0%
4-year college degree or more	42.1	36.3%	5.1	19.3%	12.2%
Unknown	0.3	0.2%	0.1	0.4%	39.0%

INDIVIDUAL WORK STATUS (Annual)
Full time	97.7	84.2%	20.5	77.0%	21.0%
Part time	18.3	15.8%	6.1	23.0%	33.4%

FAMILY WORK STATUS
2 or more full time	44.5	38.4%	7.3	27.4%	16.4%
Only 1 full time	62.3	53.7%	15.4	58.0%	24.8%
Only part time	9.2	7.9%	3.9	14.6%	42.3%

WAGE/SALARY FOR PRIMARY EARNERS
No wage earner	0.0	0.0%	0.0	0.0%	39.6%
Under $7/hour	6.9	5.9%	3.7	13.9%	53.8%
$7-$15/hour	45.2	39.0%	16.1	60.6%	35.6%
$15-$25/hour	35.8	30.9%	4.6	17.2%	12.8%
More than $25/hour	28.0	24.1%	2.2	8.3%	7.9%

FAMILY COMPOSITION
WITH CHILDREN	55.0	47.4%	12.4	46.5%	22.5%
		0.0%
1 Adult	8.0	6.9%	2.5	9.5%	31.8%
2 Married adults	39.4	34.0%	7.3	27.4%	18.5%
Other	7.6	6.5%	2.6	9.6%	33.9%

WITHOUT CHILDREN	61.0	52.6%	14.2	53.5%	23.3%

1 Adult	23.7	20.5%	7.0	26.2%	29.3%
2 Married adults	27.5	23.7%	3.5	13.1%	12.7%
Other	9.8	8.4%	3.8	14.2%	38.6%

INCOME (Poverty Level)
0 - 100% FPL	5.8	5.0%	3.6	13.4%	60.9%
100 - 200 % FPL	15.3	13.2%	7.5	28.1%	48.8%
200 - 400% FPL	38.1	32.9%	9.9	37.2%	26.0%
More than 400% FPL	56.7	48.9%	5.7	21.3%	10.0%

*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)