Many U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during past two years, report finds

Mar 5 2009

One-third of U.S. residents younger than age 65 lacked health insurance at some point during the past two years, according to a report released on Wednesday by Families USA, Reuters reports. The report examined data from surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

According to the report, among the 262 million U.S. residents younger than age 65, 86.7 million lacked health insurance at some point during the past two years. The figure included 60.1 million adults and 26.6 million children ages 18 and younger, the report found. Among residents younger than age 65 who lacked health insurance at some point during the past two years, three-fourths lacked coverage for at least six months, and 60% lacked coverage for at least nine months, according the report. The report also found that 52% of individuals and families with annual incomes between the federal poverty level and 200% of the poverty level lacked health insurance at some point during the past two years.

Families USA released the report as President Obama and congressional leaders plan to address comprehensive health care reform legislation this year. Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said, "There are a number of facets that are essential to health care reform -- bending the cost growth curve and improving quality -- but expanding coverage has got to be among the top objectives of health care reform" (Dunham, Reuters, 3/4).