AHRQ Releases 1999 Data for Americans Uninsured Population

In the first half of 1999, 42.8 million Americans, or 15.8% of the population, lacked health insurance coverage, according to data released this week by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The latest statistics from the agency's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) also show that among people under age 65, 17.9%, or 42.6 million people, were uninsured. Other findings include:

• Adults ages 19 to 24 are more likely to lack insurance coverage than other age groups. In the first half of 1999, more than 30% of this group lacked insurance.
• Among people under age 65, 36% of Hispanics and 21% of blacks lacked insurance coverage, compared to 14% of whites.
• Nearly 10 million children under age 18, or 13.6%, were uninsured during the first half of 1999.