Number of Uninsured on the Rise Despite Healthy Economy

American Family Physician,  Nov 1, 1999  by Rosemarie Sweeney,  Verna L. Rose

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A new report from the Census Bureau shows that an estimated 44.3 million Americans lack health insurance. This is an increase of about 1 million uninsured persons from 1997 to 1998, despite a growing economy. According to the report, "Those more likely to lack health insurance continue to include young adults in the 18- to 24-year-old age group, people with lower levels of education, people of Hispanic origin, those who work parttime and people born in another country." Despite the initiation of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which has enrolled nearly 1 million children, the number of uninsured children increased by 330,000 from 1997 to 1998.

Children ages 12 to 17 years were slightly more likely to be uninsured than those under age 12 (16.0 percent, compared with 15.1 percent).

COPYRIGHT 1999 American Academy of Family Physicians
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