Census Data on Health Insurance Coverage of Women and Children. Highlights of National Data for 2009

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1 March of Dimes Foundation Office of Government Affairs 1401 K Street, NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC Telephone (202) Fax (202) marchofdimes.com nacersano.org Census Data on Health Insurance Coverage of Women and Children Each year the March of Dimes commissions the U.S. Census Bureau to provide the most recent data on health insurance coverage of women of childbearing age (15-44) and of children under age 19, nationally and by state. The following data, released to the March of Dimes on September 16, 2010, show that the percentage of these women who were uninsured increased by 11 percent from 2008 to Although the Census data show a slight increase in the percentage of uninsured children, this difference is not statistically significant. Women of Childbearing Age (15-44): Highlights of National Data for 2009 The percent of women of childbearing age who were uninsured increased in 2009 to 22.3 percent (13.7 million) from 20.1 percent (12.4 million) in 2008, an 11 percent increase. o At 22.3 percent, the uninsured rate for women of childbearing age was greater than that for all persons under age 65 (18.8 percent). o The percent of women of childbearing age who had insurance from an employer declined from 60.2 percent in 2008 to 56.6 percent in 2009, while the percent with Medicaid coverage increased from 13.2 percent to 14.8 percent in those same years. o These women accounted for 27.5 percent of all uninsured persons in Hispanic women in this age group were more than twice as likely as non-hispanic whites to be uninsured 39.7 percent compared with 16.6 percent. Native American (31.5 percent), Black (26.0 percent), and Asian (20.0 percent) women were also more likely than White women to be uninsured. Among Hispanics, Mexican (43.2 percent) and Central /South American (41.4 percent) women were uninsured at the highest rates, compared with 19.0 percent of Puerto Ricans and 30.3 percent of all other Hispanic women.

2 2 Children under Age 19: Census statistics show that in 2009, 8.3 million, or 10.4 percent, of the nation s 79.3 million children under age 19 were uninsured, compared with 8.1 million, or 10.3 percent, in This difference, however, is not statistically significant. Hispanic children were more than twice as likely as non-hispanic whites to be uninsured 17.5 percent compared with 7.3 percent. Native American (18.3 percent), Black (11.9 percent), and Asian (10.6 percent) children were also more likely than whites to be uninsured. Among Hispanic children, Mexican (18.2 percent) and Central/South American (19.2 percent) were uninsured at the highest rates, compared with 9.8 percent of Puerto Ricans and 17.0 percent of all other Hispanic children. Medicaid and the Children s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) remained critical sources of health insurance for children. The number of children covered by these programs grew from 23.4 million (29.7 percent) in 2008 to 26.3 million (33.2 percent) in 2009, a 12 percent increase. The percent of children under age 19 with employer-based insurance declined from 46.2 million (58.7 percent) in 2008 to 44.1 million (55.7 percent) in Highlights of State Data for 2009 The rates of uninsured vary by state (see table page 5). For example, using three-year average data ( ), Texas (33.6 percent) and New Mexico (30.2 percent) had the highest average rates of uninsured women of childbearing age, while Massachusetts (6.6 percent) and Hawaii (9.9 percent) had the lowest. For children under 19, Texas (19.2 percent) and Florida (18.3 percent) had the highest rates, and Massachusetts (3.2 percent) and Hawaii (4.7 percent) had the lowest. The attached state data are the best and most recent Census Bureau estimates. The U.S. Census calculates these state data using a three-year average ( ) because small sample sizes make single-year state data less reliable. The March of Dimes has computed state rankings based on the percentage of uninsured. However, differences in rates among states are often small and may not be significant. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

3 3 *Includes Children s Health Insurance Program. Note: Categories may sum to more than 100 percent because individuals can have more than one source of coverage. *Includes American Indian and Alaska Native. Note: All race categories exclude Hispanics.

4 4 *Includes Children s Health Insurance Program. Note: Categories may sum to more than 100 percent because individuals can have more than one source of coverage. *Includes American Indian and Alaska Native.

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