Covering kids: variation in health insurance coverage trends by state, 1996-2002

We estimated state-specific changes in health insurance coverage rates for children between 1996-1998 and 2001-2002. We found considerable variation in the changing distribution of health insurance coverage for children across states, with significant increases in public program coverage in twenty-nine states and significant decreases in uninsured children in twenty-seven. Children in families with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level were the most likely to enroll in public programs. We provide an overview of state outreach and administrative simplification efforts and raise concerns about the persistent variation in children's health insurance coverage across states.     

Americans' health insurance coverage, 1980-91

The authors of this article have used Current Population Surveys to summarize public and private health insurance trends in the United States over the last 12 years. Key findings include the declining percentage of the non-elderly population with employer-sponsored coverage and increasing numbers of low- and middle-income uninsured. That is, in a period of fast-rising health care costs, the poor and the near-poor in working families have been losing coverage for health care and facing increasing risks of inadequate care and financial loss. These data highlight health care access and financing problems now facing the Nation.     

Working families' health insurance coverage, 1997-2001

Despite a booming U.S. economy, falling unemployment and moderate health insurance premium growth, the percentage of working Americans and their families with employer-sponsored health insurance failed to increase substantially between 1997 and 2001, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) Community Tracking Study Household Survey. There were, however, dramatic changes in the insurance status of people who lacked access to or did not take up employer coverage: fewer uninsured, more public program enrollment and a decline in coverage by individual insurance and other sources. While the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) clearly reduced uninsurance among low-income children, evidence also suggests a fair amount of substitution of public insurance for private coverage.     

The U.S. economy and changes in health insurance coverage, 2000-2006

The number of uninsured Americans increased by 3.4 million between 2004 and 2006, despite improving economic conditions. In the first four years of the decade, during a period of economic recession, the number increased by 6.0 million. The dominant factor in both periods was a decline in employer-sponsored insurance coverage. Although the recent decline was less than that experienced from 2000 to 2004, growth in public coverage was small, and the number of uninsured people increased by 1.0 million children and 2.4 million adults. Employer coverage declined most for self-employed or small-firm workers, in the South, and among noncitizens.     

Going bare: trends in health insurance coverage, 1989 through 1996.

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed trends in health insurance coverage in the United States from 1989 through 1996. METHODS: Data from annual cross-sectional surveys by the US Census Bureau were analyzed. RESULTS: Between 1989 and 1996, the number of uninsured persons increased by 8.3 million (90% confidence interval [CI] = 7.7, 8.9 million). In 1996, 41.7 million (90% CI = 40.9, 42.5 million) lacked insurance. From 1989 to 1993, the proportion with Medicaid increased by 3.6 percentage points (90% CI = 3.1, 4.0), while the proportion with private insurance declined by 4.2 percentage points (90% CI = 3.7, 4.7). From 1993 to 1996 private coverage rates stabilized but did not reverse earlier declines. Consequently, the number uninsured continued to increase. The greatest increase in the population of uninsured [corrected] was among young adults aged 18 to 39 years; rates among children also rose steeply after 1992. While Blacks had the largest percentage increase, Hispanics accounted for 36.4% (90% CI = 32.3%, 40.5%) of the increase in the number uninsured. From 1989 to 1993, the majority of the increase was among poor families. Since then, middle-income families have incurred the largest increase. Northcentral and northeastern states had the largest increases in percent uninsured. CONCLUSIONS: Despite economic prosperity, the numbers and rates of the uninsured continued to rise. Principally affected were children and young adults, poor and middle income families, blacks, and Hispanics.     

Women's health insurance coverage 1980-2005

BACKGROUND: In the fragmented US health insurance system, women's health insurance coverage is an outcome both of changes in the availability of private and public health insurance and of changing patterns of labor force participation and household formation. Over the past 2 decades, women's socioeconomic circumstances have changed and public policy around health insurance coverage for low-income women has also undergone substantial modification. METHODS: This study examines the roles of these changes in circumstances and policy on the level and composition of women's health insurance. Using the Census Bureau's March Current Population Survey 1980-2005, the government's principal source of nationally representative labor market and health insurance data, we examine how changes in marriage, full-time and part-time labor force participation, and public policy around coverage affected the level and source of women's health insurance coverage over 3 periods: 1980-1987, 1988-1994, and 1995-2005. RESULTS: Health insurance coverage rates have fallen for both women and men since 1980. What makes women different is that, in addition to the decline in coverage, the composition of health insurance coverage for women has also changed markedly. More women now obtain health insurance on their own, rather than as dependents, than did in 1980. A larger fraction of insured women are now enrolled in Medicaid than were in 1980. Women's routes to coverage have changed as their social and economic circumstances have changed and as policy, especially Medicaid policy, has evolved. CONCLUSIONS: Women's channels for obtaining health insurance coverage are more fragmented than those of men. The availability of multiple sources of coverage, and the possibility of moving amongst them, have not, however, insulated women from the overall declines in health insurance coverage caused by the rising cost of private health insurance.     

Trends in health insurance coverage, 1989-1997.

The authors analyze trends in health insurance coverage in the United States from 1989 through 1997, using cross-sectional surveys by the U.S. Census Bureau (Current Population Survey) of 160,000 persons representative of the non-institutionalized population. Between 1989 and 1997, the number of people without health insurance increased by 10.1 million to 43.4 million. From 1989 to 1993, the proportion covered by Medicaid increased by 3.6 percentage points while the proportion covered by private insurance declined by 4.2 percentage points. Since then, private coverage rates have stabilized and Medicaid coverage has decreased. Consequently, the number and percent uninsured continues to rise. Young adults age 18-39 had the largest increase in the proportion uninsured, and rates among children have also risen steeply since 1992. While blacks had the largest increase in the percent uninsured, Hispanics accounted for 35.6 percent of the increase in the number uninsured. Low-income families constituted over half of the increase in the number uninsured, but since 1993 the middle income group had the largest increase in the percent uninsured. Northeastern states had the largest increase in the percent uninsured. Thus, despite economic prosperity, the numbers and rates of the uninsured continue to rise. Principally affected are children and young adults, poor and middle-income families, blacks, and Hispanics.     

Impact of health insurance status on vaccination coverage in children 19-35 months old, United States, 1993-1996

OBJECTIVES: To show how health insurance (privately and publicly insured, insured and uninsured) relates to vaccination coverage in children 19-35 months old, and how this can be used to better target public health interventions. METHODS: The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) gathers information on the health and health care of the U.S. non-institutionalized population through household interviews. The authors combined immunization and health insurance supplements from the 1993 through 1996 NHIS, and classified children 19-35 months old by their immunization and insurance status. Results were compared using both bivariate and multivariate analyses, and the backwards stepwise selection method was used to build multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Uninsured children tended to have lower vaccination coverage than those who had insurance, either private or public. Among those with insurance, publicly insured children had lower vaccination coverage than privately insured children. Backwards stepwise regression retained insurance status, metropolitan statistical area, and education of responsible adult family member as major predictors of immunization. Factors considered but not retained in the final model included child race/ethnicity, family poverty index, and region of country. CONCLUSIONS: Insurance status was a critical predictor of vaccination coverage for children ages 19-35 months. After controlling for confounders, the uninsured were about 24% less likely to receive all recommended shots than the insured and, among the insured, those with public insurance were about 24% less likely to receive all recommended vaccines than those with private insurance.     

Explaining the decline in health insurance coverage, 1979-1995

The decline in health insurance coverage among workers from 1979 to 1995 can be accounted for almost entirely by the fact that per capita health care spending rose much more rapidly than personal income during this time period. We simulate health insurance coverage levels for 1996-2005 under alternative assumptions concerning the rate of growth of spending. We conclude that reduction in spending growth creates measurable increases in health insurance coverage for low-income workers and that the rapid increase in health care spending over the past fifteen years has created a large pool of low-income workers for whom health insurance is unaffordable.     

The 2007-09 recession and health insurance coverage

Loss of employment and declining incomes meant that five million Americans lost employment-based health insurance during the recent economic recession (2007-09). All groups of Americans were affected, but the growth in the number of uninsured people was particularly noticeable for whites, native-born citizens, and residents of the Midwest and South. Adults did not benefit nearly as much as children from public programs designed to offset the decline in employer-sponsored insurance and thus bore all of the burden of rising uninsurance. Throughout the past decade, even in good economic times, the number of Americans with employer-sponsored insurance has fallen, and the number of uninsured Americans has increased. This finding underscores the importance of planned coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act.     

National trends in health insurance coverage of pregnant and reproductive-age women, 2000 to 2009

PurposeHealth insurance facilitates financial access to health services, including prenatal and preconception care. This study characterized changes in health insurance coverage among reproductive-age women in the United States from 2000 to 2009.MethodsData from female respondents (ages 18–49) to the National Health Interview Surveys, 2000 to 2009 (n = 207,968), including those pregnant when surveyed (n = 3,204), were used in a repeated cross-sectional design. Changes over time were estimated using longitudinal regression models.Main FindingsOf the reproductive-age women in this study, 25% were uninsured at some point in the prior year. Ten percent of pregnant women reported currently being uninsured, and 27% and 58% reported Medicaid coverage or private health insurance, respectively. Among women who were not pregnant, 19% were currently uninsured, 8% had Medicaid, and 68% had private coverage. From 2000 to 2009, an increasing percentage of reproductive-age women reported having gone without health insurance in the past year. Controlling for sociodemographic and health variables, the chances that a reproductive-age woman had been uninsured increased by approximately 1.5% annually (p < .001), and did not differ between pregnant women and those who were not pregnant. The odds that an insured pregnant woman had Medicaid coverage increased 7% per year over the study period (p < .001), whereas the odds of private coverage decreased.ConclusionReproductive-age women are increasingly at risk of being uninsured, which raises concerns about access to prenatal and preconception care. Among pregnant women, access to private health insurance has decreased, and state Medicaid programs have covered a growing percentage of women. Health reform will likely impact future trends.     

Transitions in insurance coverage from before pregnancy through delivery in nine states, 1996-1999

Efforts to extend coverage to pregnant women, along with an expanding economy, did not prevent increases in the uninsured in the latter 1990s. Welfare reform may have led to declining Medicaid enrollments and caseloads. Data representative of live births in nine states show that in some states more than one-third of all pregnant women and almost two-thirds of low-income pregnant women lacked insurance before their pregnancy in 1996 and 1999. More than one-third of all pregnant women made some change in coverage by the time they delivered their baby. Among low-income women, the largest change was from uninsured status before pregnancy to Medicaid at delivery.     

Trends in U.S. health insurance coverage, 2001-2003

Against the backdrop of a sluggish economy and rapidly rising health insurance premiums, the proportion of Americans under age 65 covered by employer-sponsored insurance fell dramatically from 67 percent to 63 percent between 2001 and 2003. Although the decline in employer coverage could have spurred a large increase in the uninsured, the proportion of Americans without health insurance did not increase significantly, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) Community Tracking Study Household Survey. Expansion of public health insurance--including Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)--forestalled a significant increase in the uninsured, as the proportion of the under-65 population enrolled in public coverage increased from 9 percent to 12 percent.     

Patterns of insurance coverage within families with children

This paper examines patterns of health insurance within families with children, using the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Four and a half million families (14 percent) had insurance for some, but not all, family members. These partially insured families generally obtained coverage because of one of three situations: (1) A parent earned relatively higher wages and received the concomitant benefits of such jobs but could not afford dependent coverage; (2) the family had young children who were covered by Medicaid through more generous eligibility thresholds for children under age six, while other family members were ineligible; or (3) the family had a member who was eligible for public coverage because of a disability. Each of these situations offers the platform from which incremental policies might efficiently expand coverage to families.     

Alternatives for expanding health insurance coverage

In March 1990, nearly 14 percent of the U.S. population was without health insurance. This article examines five approaches to increase coverage: tax credits for the purchase of private insurance; changes in the regulation of the private insurance market; additional requirements on employers to provide employment-based insurance; expansion of Medicaid to selected groups; and a universal public health insurance program. Coverage would be most improved under a universal public insurance plan, and least improved by regulatory changes in the private insurance market. Significant but incomplete increases in coverage could be achieved through either new employer mandates or expansion of Medicaid. A tax credit could increase coverage appreciably only if it was substantial relative to the cost of insurance, and even then most of the credits would go to those who would have purchased insurance anyway.     

Bat rabies, Texas, 1996-2000

Bats submitted to the Texas Department of Health (1996-2000) were speciated and tested for rabies virus antigen by direct immunofluorescence microscopy. Antigenic analysis of rabies virus-positive specimens was performed with monoclonal antibodies against the nucleoprotein of the virus; atypical or unexpected results were confirmed by genetic analysis of nucleoprotein sequence.