Sources of Health Insurance and Characteristics of the Uninsured: Analysis of the March 2007 Current Population Survey

Abstract

This paper examines the status of health insurance coverage in the United States including historic data through 2006 on the number and percentage of nonelderly individuals with and without health insurance. Specifically, the paper discusses recent trends in health insurance coverage and some of their causes; the determinants of having employment-based or other types of health insurance coverage; the uninsured population and the factors associated with being uninsured; and policy implications. The final section of the report presents conclusions. Data sources are discussed in the appendix.

The data are based primarily on the March 2007 Current Population Survey (CPS), with some analysis based on other Census surveys. The report focuses on the nonelderly population (under age 65) because this group can receive health insurance coverage from a number of different sources. The estimates presented in this report focus solely on the nonelderly and differ from those published by the Census Bureau. The nonelderly focus here is because Medicare covers nearly all of the elderly population. As a result of this difference between EBRI and Census Bureau estimates, this report shows a higher percentage of uninsured in the United States.

Keywords: Employment-based benefits, Health insurance coverage, Uninsured

JEL Classification: I1, J3