Health Insurance Coverage: Characteristics of the Insured and Uninsured Populations in 2005

Publication Date: August 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

Type:

Abstract:

In 2005, 46.6 million people in the United States had no health insurance -- an increase of approximately 1.3 million people, compared to 2004. The percentage of people covered by job-based coverage has dropped annually since 2000. Whether the uninsurance rate rose in response depended on how much of the decrease in job-based coverage was offset by increases in public coverage. Unlike some previous years, public coverage rates did not increase significantly between 2004 and 2005, and the uninsurance rate rose significantly, to 15.9% in 2005 from 15.6% in 2004. Mostly because of Medicare, 1% of those 65 and older were uninsured in 2005; among the nonelderly, 17.9% were uninsured. More than half of the nonelderly uninsured were full-time, full-year workers or their family. Young adults were more likely to be uninsured than any other age group. More than one of three of those who claimed Hispanic ethnicity were uninsured, the highest of the racial/ethnic categories. This report examines characteristics of insured and uninsured people. It will be updated in fall of 2007.