America's Uninsured: The Statistics and Back Story

Kaiser Family Foundation, The Uninsured: A Primer, Publication #7451–03, October 2007. Data source is 2006 National Health Interview Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Baker D. , “Lack of Health Insurance and Decline in Overall Health in Late Middle Age,” New England Journal of Medicine 345, no. 15 (2001): 1106–1112; Ayanian J. , “Unmet Health Needs of Uninsured Adults in the United States,” JAMA 284, no. 16 (2000): 2061–2069; Roetzheim R. , “Effects of Health Insurance and Race on Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Outcomes,” American Journal of Public Health 90, no. 11 (2000): 1746–1754.

Dorn S. , “Uninsured and Dying Because of It: Updating the Institute of Medicine Analysis on the Impact of Uninsurance on Mortality,” Urban Institute, January 2008, available at <http://www.urban.org/publications/411588.html> (last visited September 19, 2008).

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, The Medicaid Resource Book, Publication #2236, January 2003, available at <http://www.kff.org/medicaid/2236-index.cfm> (last visited September 19, 2008).

See Kaiser Family Foundation, supra note 1. Data source is the March 2007 Supplement to the Current Population Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Rhoades J. A. Cohen S. B. , “The Long-term Uninsured in America, 2002–2005: Estimates for the U.S. Population under Age 65,” Statistical Brief #183, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, August 2007, available at <http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdResults_Details.jsp?pt=Statistical%20Brief&opt=2&id=828, last accessed 2/14/08> (last visited September 19, 2008).

“Poor” is defined as having an annual family income below 100 percent of the federal poverty level. “Near-poor” is defined as an annual family income between 100–199 percent of the federal poverty level. The term “low-income” is used to describe families with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Clemans-Cope L. Garrett B. , “Changes in Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Sponsorship, Eligibility, and Participation: 2001–2005,” Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Report #7599, January 2007, available at <http://www.kff.org/uninsured/7599.cfm> (last visited September 19, 2008).

Holahan J. Cook A. , “Are Immigrants Responsible for Most of the Growth of the Uninsured?” Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Report #7411, October 2005, available at <http://www.kff.org/uninsured/7411.cfm> (last visited September 19, 2008).

Garrett B. , Employer Sponsored Health Coverage: Sponsorship, Eligibility, and Participation Patterns in 2001, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Publication #7116, July 2004, available at <http://www.kff.org/uninsured/7116.cfm> (last visited September 19, 2008).

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Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust, Employer Health Benefits 2007 Annual Survey, Publication #7672, September 2007, available at <http://www.kff.org/insurance/7672/index.cfm> (last visited September 19, 2008).

See Garrett , supra note 11.

See Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust, supra note 13.

Collins S. , “Squeezed: Why Rising Exposure to Health Care Costs Threatens the Health and Financial Well-Being of American Families,” The Commonwealth Fund, September 2006, available at <http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=402531> (last visited September 19, 2008).

Cohen-Ross D. , Health Coverage for Children and Families in Medicaid and SCHIP: State Efforts Face New Hurdles, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities for the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Publication #7740, January 2008, available at <http://www.kff.org/medicaid/7740.cfm> (last visited September 19, 2008).

See Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, supra note 5.

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Five Basic Facts on Immigrants and Their Health Care, Publication #7761, March 2008, available at <http://www.kff.org/medicaid/7761.cfm> (last visited September 19, 2008).

Fairbrother G. L. , “How Stable is Medicaid Coverage for Children?” Health Affairs 26, no. 2 (March/April 2007): 520–528.

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, SCHIP Reauthorization: Key Questions in the Debate, Publication #7675, August 2007. Data source is the 2005 Annual and Social Economic Supplements to the March Current Population Survey, analysis conducted by the Urban Institute for the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Data has been adjusted for the Medicaid undercount.

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Health Coverage for Low-Income Americans: An Evidence-Based Approach to Public Policy, Publication #7476a, November 2006, available at <http://www.kff.org/uninsured/7476a.cfm> (last visited September 19, 2008).

Holahan J. Cook A. , “The U.S. Economy and Changes in Health Insurance Coverage, 2000–2006,” Health Affairs Web Exclusive 27, no. 2 (February 2008): w135–w144.