NHIS Health Insurance Coverage Estimates - Table 1

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¹ The category “private coverage” excludes plans that paid for only one type of service such as accidents or dental care. Private coverage is at the time of interview, except in 1990-1996, when it is for the month prior to interview.

² The category “public coverage” includes Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), state-sponsored or other government-sponsored health plan, Medicare (disability), and military plans. Public coverage is at the time of interview, except in 1990-1996, when it is for the month prior to interview.

³ A person was defined as uninsured if he or she did not have any private health insurance, Medicare (1976-2007), Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (1999-2007), state-sponsored (1982-1989, 1992-2007) or other government-sponsored health plan (1997-2007), or military plan. A person was also defined as uninsured if he or she had only Indian Health Service coverage or had only a private plan that paid for one type of service such as accidents or dental care.

⁴ Includes persons covered by private coverage obtained through an employer, purchased directly, or obtained through any other means.

⁵ Employer-sponsored private coverage is private insurance originally obtained through a present or former employer or union; this also includes private insurance obtained through the workplace, self-employment, or a professional association. In 1991, an additional question (Was -- health insurance coverage from a plan in -- own name?) was asked prior to the question concerning employer-sponsored private coverage which may have impacted the affirmative responses to the employer-sponsored question and resulted in a lower estimate than expected for employer-sponsored private coverage.

⁶ The category "other" includes persons who are covered by private insurance that is not obtained through a current or former employer, union or professional association. This includes directly purchased plans as well as plans obtained through school or other means. See footnote 5 for an explanation concerning the estimates for employer and directly purchased coverage for 1991.

⁷ The "Medicaid" category includes persons who reported having Medicaid coverage (1990-2007) or having a Medicaid card (1978-1989) or not carrying health insurance because care was received through Medicaid or welfare (1972-1980). It also includes those who reported coverage by “any other public assistance program that pays for health care” in 1982-1989 and 1992-1996; a state-sponsored health plan in 1997-2007; and CHIP in 1999-2007. In 1976-1996, it also includes persons who reported receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Beginning in the third quarter of 2004 a Medicaid probe question was added to reduce potential errors in reporting Medicaid status. Persons under 65 years of age with no reported coverage were asked explicitly about Medicaid coverage. Beginning in the third quarter of 2004 a Medicaid probe question was added to reduce potential errors in reporting Medicaid status. Persons under 65 years of age with no reported coverage were asked explicitly about Medicaid coverage.

⁸ In 1968-1974 Medicare was only asked of persons 65 years of age and over. In 1976 Medicare coverage was estimated through reasons for not having health insurance coverage. Beginning in 1978 Medicare coverage was asked of persons of all ages.

⁹ The "Other” public coverage category includes military coverage (1982-2007), coverage through “other government programs” (1997-2007), and not carrying health insurance because of military coverage (1972-1980). Military coverage includes TRICARE (CHAMPUS), CHAMP-VA and VA coverage.

Notes: Percentages do not add to 100 because a small percentage of persons reported more than one type of coverage. Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population. In 1990 - 1992 approximately 1% of the health insurance responses were imputed.

Data source: CDC/NCHS, National Health Interview Survey, health insurance supplements (prior to 1997) and family core questionnaire (starting with 1997).

These estimates may be revised in the future as further analyses are completed.