EMBARGOED UNTIL: 10 A.M. EST MARCH 13, 1997 (THURSDAY) Public Information Office CB97-38 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division 301-763-8576 Census Bureau Releases New Findings On Health Insurance Coverage For Children In The U.S. The Commerce Department's Census Bureau today announced that in 1995, 9.8 million (or 13.8 percent) children under the age of 18 lacked any health insurance whatsoever. This finding is based on newly released data from the Census Bureau's March 1996 Current Population Survey. The new findings follow an earlier Census Bureau report on health insurance coverage based on the Survey of Income and Program Participation. The data also showed: - Uninsured rates for different age groups of children were not statistically different--13.3 percent of children under six, 13.5 percent of children six to 11, and 14.5 percent of those 12 to 17. - Hispanic children were far less likely to have health insurance than White or African American children, and African American children were somewhat less likely to have health insurance than White children: 26.8 percent of Hispanic children were without health insurance in 1995, 15.3 percent of African American children, and 13.4 percent of White children. - In 1995, 66.1 percent of all children under age 18 were covered by a privately purchased or employment-based health plan, and 23.2 percent were covered by Medicaid. - Older children are less likely to have Medicaid coverage. Percentages of all children covered by Medicaid in 1995, by age group, were: 29.6 percent of children under six, 22.6 percent of children between six and 11, and 17.2 percent of children 12 to 17. - Significantly more African American and Hispanic children than White children were covered by Medicaid in 1995: 45.4 percent of all African American children, 37.4 percent of all Hispanic children, and 18.3 percent of all White children. - In 1995, 3.1 million (or 21.4 percent) poor children were without health insurance. Poor children comprised one-third (32 percent) of all uninsured children in 1995. - Over a 28-month period between 1992 and 1994, 30.0 percent of all children under the age of 18 lacked health insurance for at least one month (20.4 million). About 4 percent, or 2.8 million children, were uninsured for the entire 28-month period. These findings can be found on the Census Bureauþs Internet home page at http://www.census.gov/hhes/hlthins/chldhins.html These data, from household surveys, are subject to sampling variability as well as reporting and coverage errors.-X-The Census Bureau--pre-eminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In over 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries, and institutions.
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