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Health Insurance
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Health Insurance Coverage: 2004
Highlights: (as published in August 2005)
- The number of people with health insurance coverage increased by 2.0 million in 2004, to 245.3 million (84.3 percent of the population).
- In 2004, 45.8 million people were without health insurance coverage, up from 45.0 million people in 2003.
- There was no change in the percentage of people without health insurance coverage (15.7 percent) between 2003 and 2004.
- The historical record is marked by a 12-year period from 1987 to 1998 when the uninsured rate (12.9 percent in 1987) either increased or was unchanged from one year to the next (Figure 5)1. After peaking at 16.3 percent in 1998, the rate fell for two years in a row to 14.2 percent in 2000, and the rate increased for three years before stabilizing at 15.7 percent in 20042.
- The percentage and number of people covered by government health insurance programs increased between 2003 and 2004, from 26.6 percent and 76.8 million to 27.2 percent and 79.1 million, driven by increases in the percentage and number of people covered by Medicaid, from 12.4 percent and 35.6 million to 12.9 percent and 37.5 million (Figure 6).
- The percentage and number of children (people under 18 years old) without health insurance in 2004 was 11.2 percent and 8.3 million, both unchanged from 2003 (Table 7).
- With a 2004 uninsured rate at 18.9 percent, children in poverty were more likely to be uninsured than all children (Figure 7).
- The uninsured rate and number of uninsured in 2004 was 11.3 percent and 22.0 million for non-Hispanic Whites, and 19.7 percent and 7.2 million for Blacks. The figures for both groups were unchanged from 2003. The uninsured rate for Asians decreased from 18.8 percent to 16.8 percent (Table 7).
- The number of uninsured increased in 2004 for Hispanics (from 13.2 million in 2003 to 13.7 million); their uninsured rate was unchanged at 32.7 percent (Table 7).
1/ The year 1987 is the first year for which comparable health insurance coverage statistics are available.
2/ The difference between the percentage uninsured in 1998 and 1997 was not statistically significant.
Go to Health Insurance 2004
Contact the Demographic Call Center Staff at 301-763-2422 or 1-866-758-1060 (toll free) or visit
ask.census.gov for further information on Health Insurance Data.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division
