Hispanic and Black Americans Still More Likely than Whites To Be Uninsured

Press Release Date: August 2, 2000

Almost one-third of all Hispanics and one-fifth of all blacks in the United States had no health insurance in early 1998, compared with 12.2 percent of whites. In addition, blacks were the most likely to be covered by public insurance, while whites were the most likely to have private coverage. The total number of Americans without health insurance was 42.3 million, or 15.8 percent of the population. These estimates are from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's 1998 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).

Select to access a chart on Health Insurance Status of the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population (PDF File for Reproduction, 18 KB; PDF Help).

In addition, the percent of elderly Americans who held private health insurance coverage (usually in addition to their Medicare coverage) decreased from 60.5 percent to 55.3 percent from 1997 to 1998.

For more information from Health Insurance Status of the Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population: 1998, Research Findings 11 (AHRQ Publication Number 00-0023), please access the MEPS Web site or call the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295.

For more information, contact AHRQ Public Affairs (301) 427-1364: Karen Migdail, (301) 427-1855 (KMigdail@ahrq.gov).

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Internet Citation:

Hispanic and Black Americans Still More Likely than Whites To Be Uninsured. Press Release, August 2, 2000. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2000/meps98pr.htm

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