AHRQ Issues New Data on the Uninsured

Hispanics make up 15 percent of the U.S. population and almost 29 percent of the uninsured. More than one in three Hispanics is uninsured, and 25 percent has only public health insurance, according to the government's leading health expenditure survey. In addition, Hispanics constitute 36 percent of all uninsured children under 18.

The 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) findings released today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality provide data on the uninsured, including detailed breakdowns by subpopulation groups. These breakdowns are intended to help policymakers and others understand health insurance status in detail.

According to the 2004 survey, for adults under age 65:

>> White non-Hispanics made up 65 percent of the U.S. population and almost 50 percent of the uninsured. About one in seven whites was uninsured, and 10 percent had only public insurance.

>> Black non-Hispanics made up almost 13 percent of the population and almost 15 percent of the uninsured. About one in five blacks was uninsured, and 28 percent had only public insurance.

"These results confirm the urgency of identifying effective policies to expand access to care for all Americans, particularly Hispanics," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. "The MEPS is a unique resource for evaluating the impact of proposed solutions for different populations." ...

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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

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